Destiny's Demise
by A-ccentric
Summary: 'There is a road we all must walk. From the past, in the present and to the future. That is our Destiny.' To save Natsu, Lucy sacrificed herself. Three years later, team Natsu takes a job to take down an evil villain. However their mission gets interrupted by a group called the 'fire troupe'. Is it all coincidence? Or do destiny's ties run deeper than they realise? Uploads: Mondays
1. The Storm

**It's been a while since I uploaded a new story, and after working hard for several months, I have finally wrote a new one! This is Destiny's Demise my latest story, and I hope you enjoy it!**

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Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 1; The Storm

_'There is a road we all must walk. From the past, in the present and to the future. Whether it leads to sorrow or joy, it is still the path that we must all walk. That is our destiny.'_

Ice spears of rain poured from the grey storm clouds clotting in the darkening sky. Flashes of gold rippled through the thundering roars that shook the earth. Building quaked in fear, bravely resisting the malicious storm.

"NATSU! DUCK!" Lucy cried over her shoulder. Quickly the fire mage dropped to his stomach, his pink wet hair licking the shallow puddles of mud. A shining silver blade whistled past his cheek. "NATSU!" Lucy's strained voice called again. Red liquid trickled down face from a thin red line that scored his skin.

"I'm alright!" Natsu called back, leaping up to his feet. "You're gonna pay for that!" The dragon slayer growled. Flickering red flames coiled around his fist, undefeated by the crashing downfall. "Iron fist of the fire dragon!" Natsu roared his heavy knuckles plummeting into the face of one of the fifty dark figures masked in black. The man was sent hurtling backwards, collecting others as collateral until he finally smashed into the side of small cottage. Unfortunately, the building couldn't stand sturdy or take the hit. All four walls collapsed in on itself with a destructive rumble, burying the fallen men. Several more appeared from within the unyielding crowd to replace the fallen.

"Where do they keep coming from?" Lucy snapped, leaping back to avoid a thin knife driving through the heavy air. It cut into the ground with ease like it was as soft as butter. Brown eyes scowled at its sharp edge streaked electric-gold under the flash of lightening.

Blonde hair snapped up, sticking to the edges of the celestial wizards, water drenched skin. A golden key was snatched from her belt and driven into the air. With a flick of her wrist, the key turned clockwise in the air. "Gate of the golden bull, I call thee!" Lucy called. A magic circle of flittering gold bloomed and coiled around the key's tip. "TAURUS!"

The circle exploded with a blinding light, bringing forth a black and white bull from specs of golden dust, settling and dissolving into the mud slush beneath. The cow let out a loud roar of power at the group of unflinching men.

"TARUS! Take them out!" Lucy commanded.

"Of course, my beautiful Lucy!"Taurus gladly accepted, his voice laced with strong determination. A heavy black hoof leaned back over his shoulder, slowly drawing out a long, metal weapon. Under the coating of rain, the axe gleamed with malice, bearing its sharp, clean edges. The men, from what body posture could be interpreted, stood suspiciously unnerving to a point that seemed as if they were expecting it.

Leather slipped from her belt, cracking against the skin of a ruptured puddle with frightening curiosity. "Ready?" Lucy growled, holding her whip in both hands.

"Let's get moo-ving!" Taurus bellowed, slicing through the air with his cutting black axe as Lucy leapt forwards, snapping her whip with sound-breaking speed.

Men dodged and hoped towards them, always somehow able to dodge a direct hit. Knives whizzed past them, slicing through the ends of Lucy's long golden hair. "Urg, this is getting annoying now." Lucy snapped, coming back to back with the dragon slayer. "How many are there?"

"I dunno. Geez, this rain is more annoying though." Natsu growled, throwing flaming attack to fend off the assault.

Lucy could feel Natsu's heat radiating through his skin. Their drenched clothes felt as thin as paper as Lucy felt the definition of every muscle in his back.

"This is your fault! Lucy moaned, her whip lurching forwards. "If you hadn't got into this fight-"

"I didn't start it! These guys just attacked me out of nowhere!" Natsu protested.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, Natsu. I believe you." Lucy sighed with sarcasm.

"I'm telling the truth!" Natsu whined again feeling offended.

"I know, Natsu. You're not one to start fights, ri- agh!" Lucy hissed, dropping to her knees in the mud that instantly swallowed her pale skin.

"Luce, you alright?" Natsu exclaimed. He managed to knock back the on-coming wave of people, buying him enough time to check on the blonde.

A silver steel needle pierced her arm, leaking a jade green liquid. The blonde mage plucked it free, revealing a blood red dot blistering over its vacancy. "I'm...fine." Lucy replied hesitantly, seeing little blood and climbing to her feet.

Taurus galloped over swinging his axe like a lunatic, randomly sending people flying. "Lucy~" Taurus bellowed across the fighting field, his bell ringing around his neck. Lucy quickly rushed herself to mentally prepare for when he stopped.

Taurus form suddenly shattered, crumbling to gold dust that disintegrated into the rain.

"Taurus!" Lucy yelled in surprise. Even Natsu froze, staring blankly in the same direction.

"What happened?" Natsu exclaimed, finally returning to himself.

"I- I don't know." Lucy panicked thumbling the bulls' key from her belt chain. "Gate of the golden bull, I summon thee!" Lucy belted, turning the key in the air. "Taurus!" Nothing appeared. She stood there for a moment waiting for something that never came. "Huh?" Lucy muttered, feeling her heart begin to thud against her chest, playing her ribs like a xylophone. In quick succession, Lucy ripped the keys from her belt, desperately trying to call forth her spirits.

"Natsu, I can't use my magic!" Lucy shouted in fright.

"What?" Natsu barked, black eyes turning on her in disbelief. "What do you mean you can't use it?" Hands clasped on her shoulders, shaking her roughly.

"I don't know!" Lucy screamed back, her own mind trying to move forward like broken cog wheels. But it all drowned out in a second as a soft whistle whispered into her ear, slowly growing louder. The jet black sheen flashed gold under the lightening in the corner of her eye. "NATSU! LOO-"

"LUCY!" Natsu roared back, stuck in confusion.

"NO! NATSU!" Lucy screamed in frustration, but he still didn't listen to her.

In the back of her mind, Lucy could hear the distinct soft ticking of a clock slowing down. Sound drowned out into utter silence. Brown eyes widened in horror, staring at the dragon slayer. Pink hair bowed under the rush of the rain, running over the contours of his face. Big dark eyes stared at her, overcome with panic, anger and concern. The weight of his strong, sturdy hands fell heavy on her shoulders. There was also the burning heat that pulsed through them, radiating over her numb body.

Memories fluttered through her mind. She was reminiscing how they had met, what they had been through together. Most of all, she remembered the smiles. Not just Natsu's, but everyone's she had ever met. She could see the happy faces of all the servants and her family at home, the smiles of all the friends she had met along her journeys, and last of all, the friends of all her guild mates. They were engraved like crystals over her vision. Natsu's goofy face was what she cherished, and everyone else's and she had to protect it.

Time caught up to her with the last click of the ticking clock in her mind. She didn't even think, she just moved. Her heels compressed against the wet mud, springing her legs forwards. Wet, cold hands reached out, swinging all her weight with her. As her body collided with Natsu's, his feet slipped on the unstable ground, sending his body timbering backwards.

A brief moment seized her as Lucy felt the press of the bullet breaking through her ribs at the resounding bang of the gun shot. It echoed in her mind the same way a ringing bell might, where it dominated any sound with an enormous presence. It may have seemed intimidating to others, but at that moment it just became a sound that was just as it was, a sound.

Natsu's back collapsed against the thick mud with Lucy's body falling on top of his.

"You idiot!" A hoarse voice called out in fury among the men. A man in black rushed forwards tearing a gun free of another with anger. "You're lucky you didn't hit him!" He screamed, but the man wasn't listening. Instead, her stared ahead at the pair on the ground. That was because he knew for certain he had missed.

Natsu didn't listen any further. The sound of the gunshot hooked onto his stomach like a leech, sucking the blood cold from his veins until his face went pale. "Lu...Luce?" Natsu uttered, hearing his own voice shaking so quietly as if it was far off in the distance. Everything about his surroundings suddenly expanded, feeling so alone. It was as if he was curled up in a ball, watching what was happening from afar. With only the weight of Lucy's silence, heavy body crushing his chest until his heart ached.

Something warm trickled over his skin leaving a burning trail in its wake, slipping through the cracks in his fingers. His body switched onto auto-pilot, flipping him and Lucy over. Natsu's body hovered above her, watching her still face in shock.

Dread dug its nails in to his heart as his dark eyes slowly squeezed shut. 'It won't be there. When I look, it won't be there.' His mind cried. But it was. As small onyx eyes pried open, he saw his hand covered in thick, red blood.

His heart stopped. His thoughts fell silent. His body went numb. "L- Luce?" He cried. Hot burning tears welled in his eyes, smearing his vision. Dark eyes just stared down with dumbfound shock. Behind them, his brain was stuck, as if something had been wedged into the cogs of his mind. Every time he tried to make it move forward, it just couldn't.

Even as the sharp needled pierced his skin all up his arm, the dragon slayer couldn't find the will to move. Magic slowly disappeared out of his body, seeping into the rain that showered over him. Red clouds of blood inked into the spreading mud puddles, expanding the pool of Lucy's life, slowly being sapped out of her.

Faint sounds of cautiously approaching men echoed behind him.

Closed eyes wrinkled and flinched, breaking Natsu's attention. Slowly, her lashes fluttered open, revealing big brown orbs looking up at him faintly. Adrenalin burst through Natsu's veins with relief sweeping through him. Those eyes were like his life line, pulling him back from a dark void of despair.

"N- Natsu?" she whispered, searching for his face.

"Hey Luce, I'm here. See?" Natsu gave a weak smile, pressing a hand against the cold cheek of her pale face. "You're going to be alright Lucy. I promise." Reassurance wasn't his strong point, but he was all too eager to give it, as the blood pouring through his finger began to build up.

Lucy paused, watching his face with a soft sad expression. It also told her she knew all too well about what was happening to her. For a moment, he wasn't sure what she was going to say, until she parted her lips softly and finally whispered. "Okay...Natsu." With the little strength she had, she pulled her lips until she made a small smile.

A splash of a puddle scattering droplets of water alerted him of the enemy that was far too close. His sharp face snapped on them immediately, defensive rage blowing up inside of him. "GET AWAY!" Natsu roared, his face twisting with overpowering intensity. Panic burst though his veins. He had to take Lucy to Wendy, to Poryluscia, to a hospital, anything! If not she would... Never mind that, first he had to make sure they would never get anywhere near her. He had to protect her.

Although he knew his magic was gone, his knew his strength wasn't; He could still fight.

As Natsu spun to attack, he was aware of the hand gripping his wrist softly. "Luce?" Natsu muttered, all his attention circling back onto her.

Big brown eyes gazed up at his with fading light. "Don't...go..." she breathed weakly. Her breaths b became shorter, her grip was weakening, and her life was slowly sipping away. Natsu needed to do something. Even so, for some reason something was holding him back, not letting her leave her, not right then and he listened.

"I'm not going anywhere Luce, I promise." Natsu vowed, squeezing her hand tightly.

Just as Lucy opened her mouth to speak, a paw of a hand came thundering down on Natsu's shoulder, tugging him backwards. It pulled hard and the dragon slayer resisted but failed and collapsed backwards against the wet mud.

"GET OFF!" Natsu screamed, leaping up to his feet. Already, several men had wrapped around him, forming a line between him and Lucy. Many hands lurched forwards catching and restraining against him. "LET ME GO!" Natsu demanded, breaking free of the holds, but they just caught him again.

The affects of the magic-numbing dart managed to drain more than half his strength away. No matter how well the dragon slayer fought, he was falling under their speed and man power.

It showed effortlessly as one man finally tackled the dragon slayer down. Quick hands wrapped steel bolted chains around his body, restraining his movement. "LET GO OF ME!" Natsu struggled in vain as they hauled his drenched and blood-stained body through the mud.

In the dragon slayer's dark eyes all he saw was Lucy. Big brown eyes stared after him in the distance. A pale white hand desperately reached out to him with all her effort. Blonde hair plastered to her white face, under the cloak of rain. Soft tears slowly poured down her water-stained face.

"LUCY!" Natsu screamed at the top of his lungs. The dragon slayer's body convulsed in panic with bursts of adrenalin expanding his strength. He couldn't leave her. Not alone. Not without him. She would die!

"Sir, what about that girl?" A soldier muttered to the man, catching Natsu's good hearing.

"Leave her." Another man answered coldly. "She isn't going to make it."

Pure, heart-wrenching agony tore into Natsu's chest like a wild beast, shredding him to pieces. Power boiled through Natsu's chained body in a last desperate attempt. Creaks and wanes of the steel chains cried out in protest as the metal began to stretch. A little more and the chains would break. He could break free! He could break them! He was going to save Lucy!

An echoing whistle of a dart skated through the air. It stopped, and the dragon slayer froze. Onyx eyes moved down to his chest, staring at the red-tailed dart sticking into his chest. "WHAT THE HELL...did you...do..."Natsu's body relaxed against his will, dragging his weight down like a rock sinking to the bottom of a pond.

"Hurry and load him into the cart; we're late." The man addressed as 'sir' commanded, clicking the barrel of his dart gun shut.

People responded right away, dragging Natsu as dead weight towards a jet-black carriage. "Let me...go!" Natsu growled as loud as he could manage which was only as much as a hoarse whisper.

Onyx eyes rolled away from them. Big brown eyes stared at him weakly with a small despaired expression. Natsu's heart froze, his eyes locked onto her face.

Time seemed to slow as Natsu watched the outstretched pale hand fall to the ground. Her face slowly relaxed with the last few tears rolling down her cheeks. He watched her eyes fall shut.

Hot tears stung his disbelieving eyes, rolling in indistinguishable droplets down his soaked face. Agony wrapped its claws into his heart and around his neck. "No...No...It can't be...no." Natsu muttered, his eyes widening in shock, watching her lifeless body, as clear cut as diamonds, through the grey veil of the storm. Lightening dispersed and thunder silenced, the rain falling quietly as if the sky was crying.

"NO! LUCY!" Natsu screamed, his weak limp body trying to fight for freedom. But it was too late, he couldn't move. His body was thrown into the carriage and carried away.

Luce was...gone?

Rain poured over his white cloak, covered in tears and the edges sprayed with mud. Puddles splashed around his bare feet treading slowly forwards. When they stopped, small eyes fell onto the ground at his feet.

Blonde hair dyed brown by the mud stuck to the edges of a stained oval face. Long, pale limbs with a dirt cast laid in line with her body, except the elegant white arm cast out to the side. Red blood trickled into the dark clouding puddles of mud as the sound of carriage faded into the distance.

"Destiny is the path. Will is what makes you walk. Sorrow slows you down. Love keeps you going. And Death is the end." An old, crisp voice muttered mournfully as sturdy, aged hand reached down to graze her silent pale cheek. "But when one path ends, it doesn't mean another one won't begin." Arms picked up the limp cold body with a single gentle sweep. Rain washed across the girl's face, removing the stains of blood, mud and tears. "Now, young one, you have fought hard. And now it is time for you to walk the next path."

"LET...me...go!" Natsu growled weakly. Crooked, stretched chains rattled quietly at his weak, futile attempts to break free.

"This guy's still awake?" One of the black clad men groaned sourly. "Can't he just give up already; it's annoying."

"Shut up." Another interrupted. "The lord wants him alive so don't kill him."

"I wasn't going to!" The first exclaimed.

Natsu heard the faint sounds of the wheels clattering through the mud puddles like a record on the outside of a glass room. Sight, sound, touch all faded in and out of clarity with the darkness that haunted the edges of his eyes like a predator stalking its prey. All his body radiated with the same kind of growing numbness that ignored the wounds and ache of his weak muscles and brittle bones, still trying to break him out.

An image flashed across his semi-conscious mind.

Big brown eyes bled cold tears. A white, weak hand extended out to him. Her pale lips in a soft frown. Then, the hand dropped into the puddle, and the eyes fell closed.

"DAMMIT!" Natsu roared, shaking his chains. The man leapt back in surprise, his hand snapping to a knife at his side.

"HOW DOES THIS GUY STILL HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY?" The man exclaimed, calming down from his scare.

Another man, sat across from him, holding something black by his side, turned to him almost tiredly. "A dragon slayer soul is a hard thing to break." He said softly, with almost a hint of admiration. "They use all their will to try and save what's dear to them, even after it's long gone."

Natsu collapsed back against the floor of the carriage. There was no longer any point in trying to break the chains; he didn't have the strength to do so. Instead, he picked up whatever energy left in his exhausted body and flung him against the walls of the carriage. It rocked, causing the men to react furiously.

The first man reacted almost instantly, casting an arm quickly over his shoulders. His dark eyes piercing through his mask were cold and merciless, full of overflowing quick anger. A large club raised in his hands with the ring of clattering chains that looped back around the man's neck.

Natsu ignored him, staggering to his feet. All he kept thinking was 'just get back to Lucy, everyone else doesn't matter. Get back to her!' repeating over and over again in his mind, pushing his will to the limits. The further they got, the sicker he felt. He couldn't leave her alone like that. He had to go to her. He had to save her.

Natsu flung himself one last time at the carriage, causing it to tremor and rock. As he did, the man's black metal axe thundered through the air down to his head.

A mind numbing ring echoed through his brain, and the axe hadn't hit him. When he looked up he saw a silver sword piercing the wall, cutting into the man's weapon chain. As soon as the man noticed, the sword lurched back, ripping a whole in the wall. Iron chains followed after it wrapping around the guys neck and dragging him along too.

Instantly, the second door opened, dragging out the other two men casting them into the rolling mud.

Natsu hadn't noticed before, but the carriage was slowing down. A second later, it came to a complete stop.

"NATSU!" A voice called to him. The dragon slayer whirled to see bright scarlet hair through the faint blur of his vision.

"Erza?" Natsu grumbled.

A silver gauntlet grabbed him by the scarf, dragging him out into the pouring rain. The beads of water hitting his skin awoke the image of Lucy again flashing across his mind.

"LUCY!" Natsu burst. Erza's grip let go in surprise and the dragon slayer staggered backwards. Another figure reappeared behind him, setting two hands on his shoulders to steady him. Natsu was still reeling from whatever drug they shot him with, making it a struggle to simply stand or makE sense of whatever was going on around him. One thing he did know was that Lucy was still left behind.

"LUCY!" He cried. "WE NEED TO GO SAVE LUCY!"

"What do you mean?" Gray called back under a harsh crash of rain. "Why isn't Lucy with you?" Onyx eyes flashed towards the blur of the ice mage with a horrible sick dread crashing into his chest.

"Lucy...she..." Natsu's voice drowned into the storm as he frantically stumbled forwards as fast as he could.

"Natsu! Wait!" Gray called, chasing after him.

"LUCY! We left Lucy! She's back there all alone! She needs our help!" Natsu yelled pushing his body harder to go faster.

"No one's back there, Natsu! We came that way!" Gray yelled back, stared with a frantic confusion at the dragon slayer.

"No...There's no way she could have left on her own!" Natsu called back. The image flashed again; Lucy in the mud, her outstretched hand falling and her eyes closing shut. "She's got to be there!"

The harsh sound of something coming up at Gray and Natsu's heels startled them. As they turned, Natsu's legs gave out and he dropped to his knees in the mud. Quickly, he was dragged to his feet again with Gray slinging his arm over his shoulder.

At the same time, Erza pulled up with the half-destroyed carriage. "Get in!"She yelled, reins in hand.

Gray nodded, helping lift Natsu into the carriage with the cry of the restless horses. As soon as they were in, Erza pushed the carriage into a lurch forward with the sense of dire time.

The first building appeared in the distance and Natsu immediately flung himself out of the still moving carriage. Reins tore the horses to a sliding stop, skidding over the mud as the carriage spun through the air. Water splashed up the dragon slayer's bmost, crashing through the air and into the soft ground. Heavy mud clung to his body like concrete, pulling him down with twice his body weight. Water destroyed the friction of the ground and his body rolled and rolled for what seemed forever until he came to a stop.

The dragon slayer quickly staggered desperately to his feet, gathering his bearings. He knew where he was in an instant.

The water on his hands felt warm, and what he thought was brown was a deep red. It felt like heavy stone in liquid form, burning his skin. Its scent, strawberry and vanilla, clutched his throat.

Lucy in the mud, blood spilling into the puddles, her outstretched hand, eyes closing, appeared again. This time it was like it was happening right in front of him. But it was all a dream, because when it flickered away, there was nothing there.

Lucy was gone.

Natsu dropped to his knees, black eyes staring at his red-soaked hands.

"NATSU!" Gray yelled running up to him. Slowly, the dragon slayer turned his head over his shoulder. Gray came to a halt as his eyes reached him. He first saw his face, shock and horrified, and then he saw his hands covered in red blood. It dawned on him in a second, realising whose blood it was. "Lucy..." Gray muttered in disbelief.

Splashing footsteps behind him silenced, where Erza looked forward with frozen eyes.

"Lucy's...gone?" Natsu choked, his pale hands were shaking, and his body was beginning to sway. The world seemed to spin in circles around him and he couldn't make out what was what any more. It was like his world was being torn from underneath his feet, with a sickness latching onto his stomach like a leech. Ice chilled over his skin as his thoughts came to a freeze.

Blackness urged onto him like a tidal wave, snatching him from the light. Gray watched the life sweep out of the dragon slayer just as his knees gave way. And finally, Natsu's struggle to stay awake ended with his body collapsing against the earth.

"NATSU!" Gray yelled, darting over.

Rain poured over his skin, ice cutting through the darkness, thieving his last grips on his consciousness.

Lucy; The mud, rain and blood. Lucy; Reaching out to him. Lucy; Her eyes closing shut.

Lucy was gone...and Natsu fell into the darkness he couldn't escape.

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**Next Monday: Chapter 2: The Hopeful  
**_** It's three years after the incident and Team Natsu finds themselves visiting the city of Hope and learning for the first time of the famous group, the 'Fire troupe'...**_

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**-A-ccentric**


	2. The Hopeful

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 2; The Hopeful

_Three Years Later..._

Paper tore free from the job board and settled on the bar top. Mirajane set down her glass, sweeping around towards the sheet. Gray pushed the paper towards her, whilst his eyes turned towards the other end of the guild. The doors remained slightly open, evening sunlight stretching across the floor from the crack.

"Is Natsu not back yet?" Mira asked softly, writing in the job information down on the butter curled pages of the dusty book.

"Not yet." Gray sighed, turning to face her.

"I passed him on my way up here." Erza added, wandering up to the bar. She glanced down at the job request and gave it a slightly concerning look. As her eyes looked up at the ice mage, who gave a simple shrug, she turned back to give it an approving look. "He was up on the big hill by the oak tree."

"Happy's gone to fetch him." Gray informed, snatching up the job paper as both mages walked towards the door. Their shadows streamed out behind them, cutting out the square of light. "I'll go meet up with them on their way back."

"Then I'll go get Wendy and Carla. We'll meet at the dock." Erza decided and parted ways with the ice mage.

Deep amber light surged up the hill face. Stained orange oceans swept against the port past the city, filled with noise like any other day. Pink hair fluttered in the cool early autumn breeze. The gentle smell of grass floated in the air. Tree leaves rustling and birds chirping chorused. Dark black eyes stayed shut, feeling the gentleness of the world around him.

"The reasons you're looking for are not there." A voice spoke from behind him. Natsu leapt to his feet, long pink hair falling over his face. Dark eyes jumped forward, left, right and behind him, but no one was there. "That is because there are no reasons." The voice continued.

"Where are you?" He growled, but no one appeared. There was no one on top of the secluded hill as far as he could tell. Nothing but an oak tree that was tall, green and flourished in the sunlight's trickling rays. The tree!

Natsu's sharp, agile legs sprung his body up the tree instantly, but no one was there. The dragon slayer carefully clambered down the tree again and looked around.

Suddenly, he noticed the bare feet peaking from around the corner of the wide tree trunk. He was there in a second, but once again, there was nothing. Just as he was beginning to wonder if he was delusional, the voice appeared behind him again.

"There is no reason for you to regret." It added. Natsu felt his whole body stiffen. An old ache of pain pounded in his heart with a sharp coldness that chilled him down to the bones. Dark eyes softened as he slowly turned around.

A figure laid in the sunlight washing over the hill. His feet were bare and dirty, and a grey cloak, that may once have been white, wrapped over his shoulders with small tears and holes here and there. Brown-grey hair stuck up and out like wires from his head and face. His eyes were pale, cast with a white filter of blindness. Yet, he still looked directly at the setting sun on the horizon as if he saw everything.

"Want to hear a story?" he asked in his gentle voice.

Natsu had grown over the last three years; he was taller, stronger and his hair had grown too long, reminding him constantly that he needed it cutting. He realised the man seemingly meant no harm, and let Natsu find shelter in the shade that cut between them.

"What's it about?" Natsu asked, drawing a leg up and resting his elbow on it. Dark eyes followed his gaze out into the sunrise.

"A girl." The man answered, not straying his own eyes away from the light.

"What about the girl?" Natsu asked dully.

"While protecting her lover, she almost died." The man began. Natsu's eyes had a flash of memories that stabbed into his chest. He fell quiet, but didn't stop the man. Instead, he drew into himself and listened softly.

"She was saved... but she didn't return to her lover. Instead she used the life she was given to make sure to protect him from anyone that wanted to harm him."

A silence drew in and settled for longer than a moment. The story was short, but it stirred something in Natsu's chest, something he didn't even know was there.

"So what happened to the girl?" Natsu asked softly.

"She did as she said and protected her lover until the end. And she was happy she was able to save the one she loved." The man replied

"That's kind of noble." Natsu commented, stroking a small strand of pink hair. The man stayed silent for a long time, his eyes looking soft and sad. Silence settled again for a time longer than a moment.

"Some say a sacrifice for love is noble." He finally spoke. "But in truth, people like them are the loneliest people in the world." Natsu let his words resound softly in his ears. He felt the sadness rise in his chest that pained his heart and let his head fall softly onto his knees.

"It really is lonely." He whispered. "...really lonely."

"Not everything we see or hear means what we think it does, Natsu." The man whispered. Natsu nodded softly, as something in his mind tingled with suspicion.

"What do you mean by that?" Natsu asked, looking up and turning towards him. But he was already gone. Soft autumn breezed rustled his long pink hair as sunlight spilled over his skin, tingling gently with warmth.

Natsu thought back to his words and looked out at the sunset. "Did I tell him my name?" He grumbled with a perplexed expression.

"NATSU!" Happy called, coming up into sight. "We've gotta job! Let's go!"

As Natsu stood, an orange leaf settled down at his feet, glowing amber as the sun's rays trickled through. Just as Natsu reached to pick it up, it was picked up by a breeze and sailed into the sky.

Dark eyes watched it longingly, before he turned and left to catch up with the blue cat.

Soft growls of the magic car rattled under his feet as wind whistled sharply past the windows. Green scenery mixed with autumn browns and orange began to disperse as the terrain turned a golden dirt colour with exposed mountains coming into range.

Gray and Erza sat up front, listening to the loud groans coming from the half-dead dragon slayer behind the drawn window's curtains.

"We should have come by carriage. You're just draining your magic energy away." Gray grumbled irritably, tired and fed up of the long car journey. He raked a hand over his head, feeling the soft bristles of his short hair over his fingers.

"Natsu wouldn't have gone in one." Erza replied. A dark eye fell on his hair. "You should have kept it longer."

"I needed the change. I'm not like you who can keep the same hair style for three years to the exact inch." Gray said, dusting his clean hand against his trouser leg. He buttoned up his white cloak to his chin to brace the cold winds. "So, what do we tell him?"

"There's no need; we're only passing through." Erza replied bluntly. A similar uneasiness was obvious in her tone that was hidden deep inside Gray.

"I suppose if we told him we were going back through the city where we lost Lucy, we couldn't be sure how he would react." Gray agreed, his eyes seemingly interested in his surroundings. But Erza knew better than to think he was. Lucy's death hit them all hard. They spent weeks even months combing through the area searching for her, but there wasn't a trace. Although the guild mark was supposed to stop a Fairy Tail wizard from dying battle, it didn't mean she couldn't be lost after the battle was over. While looking, they thought maybe she was alive and got away, but they couldn't hide from the truth for too long. When it finally set it, they stopped looking. Since then, Natsu never came back to that village.

Erza and Gray had managed to go through the desolate village again. But it never meant they had forgotten. Finding Natsu that day in the rain was still as clear as it ever was. Lucy was gone and there hadn't been a day gone by that they didn't miss her.

Light rainfall began to rattle against the motor vehicle as it came to a grizzling stop. The door clocked open, letting two dragon slayers and their exceeds exit.

As the cloud's tears pattered on his face, Natsu's eyes turned upwards.

"It's raining." Happy mumbled, holding out a paw. Raindrops impressed his fur coat into navy blue spots. Big cat eyes slowly turned to the dragon slayer. Rain splashed against his face, rolling down his cheeks as his dark eyes stared up at the clouds with a distant gaze. The water spilling over his skin seemed like the tears Natsu could never cry. Happy had never seen Natsu cry since that day. Not even at Lucy's memorial. There was no body to bury, but everyone felt like they had lost a piece of themselves with her that day. Everyone around him cried, but he didn't. All he did was stare at the stone engraved with her name long after everyone else had left him behind.

In the three years since, the only crack into his soul Happy could see through his eyes was when the sky cried. It was like they were a looking glass into that hidden part of him he buried deep down. He always saw the same numb darkness, filled with so much pain whenever he looked at the clouds crying above him. There was also a longing in them, as if he was envious that they could express the sorrow he couldn't.

"Yeah," Natsu finally uttered as soft as a whisper. He turned away, his long pink hair's spikes bending under the heavy raindrops.

"It looks like a storm's coming; we should find shelter before it gets any heavier." Gray called from up ahead. They all turned and obediently followed him towards the city.

The job was located in a place called 'desperatione' meaning 'despair' in Latin -a foreign language spoke on a continent far from Fiore. There couldn't have been a more unsuitable name. There were billboards everywhere waxed against the rain proclaiming the hope their city had. There was a silhouette on ever blackboard of a cloaked figure with a red fire symbol on the forehead. Looking at it made Natsu feel kind of tired and hungry.

"I'm hungry..." Happy whined, flopping over his shoulder like a dead fish. "I can't go on any further."

"Here's an inn we can stay at." Erza informed, moving towards a tall rectangular building that leaned at an awkward angle so that it towered over them. The rest of the buildings in the city looked sturdy enough with toweringly tall heights and was painted in the different shades of a burning sun. Other than the colours, the city was pretty plain.

As they moved to the door, the rain began to fall heavier and faster. Erza rapped on the door and it almost instantly swung open.

He was a short man with a round belly, a bald head that shined and a perky curling moustache.

"Come in, come in. Quick, before you're cursed." He rallied, shoeing the mages inside as quickly as he could. They rushed inside, seconds before a slaughter of rain began to pound against the streets, staining the golden sandstone a dark grey.

The mage's quickly stripped their damp jackets and shirts to avoid a cold, handing them to the man who replaced them with a hot towel. He drew a piece of rope across the length of the little lobby, hanging the clothes over them to dry. They thanked him and quickly dried themselves off as much as they could.

"You guys all dry now?" the man smiled, moving behind a small wooden counter. "So, what'll it be? One room of three for the ladies and the same for the boys?"

"Yes, that'll be fine." Erza sighed thankfully, pulling out her coin purse. "How much do we owe you?"

"Nothing at all, milady." The man replied casually.

"You're letting us stay here for free?" Wendy exclaimed in surprise.

The man let out a deep grandfather chuckle, rubbing a finger over his moustache. "I suppose you folk ain't from around here, huh?"

"No. We've come from Magnolia." Carla replied.

"Magnolia, huh? That's quite the trip from home." The man noted.

"What does being a non-native have to do with staying for free?" Gray pressed, dropping his towel over his bare shoulders.

"Nothing." The man replied with a wide shrug. "It's the fact you're wizards that you ain't going to be charged."

"How did you know we're wizards?" Gray asked in surprise, with the faint tingle of possible alert, despite the air of comfort around the man.

"You've all got a guild mark. Fairy Tail, right?" The man pointed a thumb to his chest, representing where Gray's own mark was placed. Unconsciously, the ice mage laid a hand over it protectively. "We don't get many of you around here. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if you're the first ones to come to this city in the last four years." The man turned around, searching through a rack of numbered key tags. "It's our duty as members of Spero to know all the wizard guild marks and treat those with them accordingly." The man explained, picking out two keys and moving towards an open book at his desk.

"Have you seen this symbol before?" He asked as he set down his pen and turned, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. His forearms had the hair of a gold and brown ware beast, spring and curling like armour of keratin. On his upper arm, there was no hair at all, replaced only by a small fire symbol.

"That's like the symbol I saw outside!" Natsu jumped, leaping forwards to exam it.

"That's the symbol of hope for us. The real name of this city was despair, but two and a half years ago we renamed it." The old man continued.

"Why the sudden change?" Gray asked, examining the symbol as well.

"When this city was called 'desperatione', it was ruled under the tyrant earl of the west castle, three-kilometres from here." The man began to explain. "Taxes were too high and land for food was stripped from the people in order to fuel the lord's experiments. We would have revolted if we could have, but we hadn't eaten for days and we were starved of our strength. Just enough food was brought into the city to keep us alive so we could keep paying the taxes. If not, our children were taken from us and sent to work under the lord."

"That's horrible!" Wendy exclaimed. Both her small hands wrapped around the man's meaty paws. "It must have been horrible for you, inn keeper-san."

"Please, call me, Mr. Tanaka." The old man chuckled again heartily. For such a small round man, he had an enormously loud laugh.

"So what happened?" Erza asked, pulling up a chair from nowhere.

"The Fire Troupe came." Mr Tanaka smiled.

"Fire troupe?" She repeated.

"It's the name they were known by from the villagers, there was even a small rhyme made up:

_'They come on horses at night,_  
_Blazing flames dancing as our light._  
_Black cloaked beacons of hope,_  
_never extinguished in the rain.'_

It's song made by the kids, although it doesn't actually rhyme very much."

"They sound awesome." Happy sighed, his eyes sparkling next to the dragon slayer, equally as impressed.

"They are. We painted our houses the colours of blazing fires to support them. They came every time we needed them, vanquishing the lord's followers who caused trouble in the city. It wasn't long before the tyrant and his followers became too scared to come here." Mr. Tanaka gave another hearty laugh of pride and victory. "That's when we called the town 'Spero' meaning Hope."

"Wow," Wendy sighed delightfully. "They sound like heroes."

"They were to all of us here in Spero." Mr. Tanaka smiled, picking up the keys again. Erza moved forward to take them as he dropped them into her hands. "Your rooms are up the stairs to your left." Mr Tanaka gestured to the winding staircase to his left. Everyone nodded thanks, picked up their luggage and headed upstairs.

As he said, both rooms were on the left. Between them was a small lobby connected by side doors to their rooms. They dumped their luggage and made rest in the lobby.

Rain rattled heavily against the brittle window pane. Turbulent winds howled hauntingly. Thunder and lightning crashed in the dark skies.

Natsu moved restlessly from one red couch to the opposite, and then to the window and back again, beginning to pace anxiously. Gray sat beside Happy on the bright ginger carpet with Erza on one couch and Wendy and Carla on the other.

"I wish he would just sit down!" Gray growled irritably.

"You know he can't. Natsu never sits still when it rains." Erza replied, giving him a side-long stare.

"Yeah, I know. Don't you think he could at least deal with rain after three years?" Gray rebutted and Erza said nothing.

"Are you sure it's okay to stay here? Isn't the job in the next city over?" Wendy asked, petting Carla's fur softly on her lap.

"No, this is the city we're supposed to be in." Carla answered her.

"Yeah, when it said 'Spero' I wasn't sure. It's still called 'desperatione' on the job listing. Also, we'll have to wait until this rain lets up anyway." Erza added.

"Hey, he never actually told us why wizards don't have to pay!" Happy realised, rolling softly on the bristles of the rug so they rubbed over his fur.

"You're right." Gray muttered, stroking his chin in thought.

"Aren't those fire troupe guys wizards?" Natsu intervened. He sat beside a heater filtering warm air currents to battle the freezing draft.

"Well, he never said they were, or wasn't." Erza added. "But how do you know, Natsu?" Natsu just shrugged and went back to his silence, rising from the heater and pacing. The clash of thunder killed his thought train and made his heart leap. For a second, Natsu froze in his step, and when he realised he quickly pushed himself forwards nervously. Gray cast him a quick glance, but decided to look over it.

"Natsu's right." Happy added naively. "Why wouldn't wizards be treated so fondly if they are the same as their heroes?"

"Good point." Gray concurred, nodding approvingly.

"It doesn't matter." Erza cut in sternly. "Let's all get some rest; we'll leave tomorrow morning to find our employer. The rain should have cleared up by then."

The guild members disappeared one by one into their rooms, until only Natsu was left. The patter of the rain against the window rattled like a raging beast in the dragon slayer's sensitive ears.

Faint images of that day pushed up in his mind. He tried hard to suppress them but his brain was weak to the rain. Gentle, crying Lucy's life washing away in the storm...her outstretched hand falling into the mud empty...sad, beautiful brown eyes falling closed forever.

"Dammit!" Natsu growled, pounding a fist into his knee. Sharp pains jolted up his spine, scattering his thoughts for a blissful moment.

"Advice is like medicine; it's meant to be taken." An old weary voice grumbled.

Natsu leapt out of his skin with the hot ache of his leg bringing him back. Sure enough, an old man dressed in a dirt grey cloak with a black cross, lounged barefooted on the couch across from the dragon slayer. "You!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What's yours but people use it more than you? - A name. Mine's Desmond Tyche Ikenga Nortia Yoruba. But you can call me Des."

"That's a long name...Des." Natsu muttered incredulously.

Des ignored him, unwrapping his feet and then crossing them over again in the opposite direction. His dark eyes looked at the dragon slayer, and then the window, and back to the pink-haired boy, "You can suppress a sapling, so it won't grow into a tree, but you can't suppress the rain that will become a storm."

"Another riddle?" Natsu moaned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A flower blooms without guidance." Desmond countered.

"Urg!" Natsu growled in frustration. "I don't understand!" He whirled on the painted window, his feet locked in place as he watched the tears race across the glass.

"A sapling will grow in the rain, in order to become a tree that can survive a storm, Natsu." The dragon slayer turned back to the couch, but of course, Desmond had gone without a trace.

"Natsu?" A smaller voice grumbled, followed by a squeaking door. Happy stood at the base, rubbing his eyes drowsily. "Who are you talking to?"

"No one...I think..." Natsu replied, his eyes wandering the room in thought. If that man was a figure of Natsu's imagination, it wouldn't be surprising. Then again, why would his head complicate his self further?

Happy gave him a long and too-tired-to-care stare before nodding and staring past him. "Hey look, the storms let up." Happy yawned, slowing coming from his slumber.

Natsu turned back on the window just as warm welcoming rays of sunshine broke through the tormenting clouds and the rain softened into a faint pitter-patter before coming to a complete stop. "You're right; it really has stopped." Natsu mumbled.

"How long was I asleep?" The cat mumbled drowsily, sitting up on the couch with Natsu sitting across from him.

"Not long; about 30 minutes." Natsu replied, his eyes spellbound to the window. "A sapling in the rain huh? Is that supposed to be me?" Natsu thought aloud.

"What do you mean, Natsu?" Happy grumbled, the life slowly bringing him back from his sleepy-zombie state.

"Doesn't matter. I'll go wake everyone up." Natsu dismissed the cat, detaching himself from the window.

"A nap is a nap after all, whether it's just 30 minutes or 30 hours. Although I would have preferred the 30 hours." Happy added with a final yawn.

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 3; The Pain  
**_** The team meets their employer and learns of her tragic past. Meanwhile, Natsu finally comes face to face with the Fire troupe...**_

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	3. The Pain

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 3: The Pain  


About twenty minutes later the group was up and ready for their expedition to find their employer. Erza and Wendy tied their hair up to escape the humidity, while Gray's was too short to be affected by it, and Carla had applied some de-frizz lotion to her.

Happy and Natsu on the other hand, found out the effects of an after storm humidity wave the second they stepped out the inn door.

"Natsu...you look like someone stuck a pink fur ball to your head...twice." Gray joked. Natsu hated to admit it, but it was true. Having let his hair grow out longer caused it to puff up like a mane. And on top of that mane was a blue pompom making odd sounds like a cat speaking.

"Stupid Ice princess!" Natsu growled irritably.

"Say what, pink poodle?"Gray hissed back.

Erza, Wendy and Carla walked ahead holding a map out. "So according to the inn keeper, the place we're looking for is on the outskirts of the town." Carla recited.

"That means...we go right!" Erza deduced, turning a sharp 90 degree angle down an alleyway.

"Um...Erza-san." Wendy intervened. "You've got the map...um, upside down."

Erza stopped, looking down at her hands and the map and thought hard. "Left, we go!" Erza declared, rapidly turning out the alleyway with unstoppable determination.

"We really shouldn't have let Erza lead the way." Gray and Natsu grumbled simultaneously.

Two and a half hours later, they finally made it to the north-east outskirts of the town through quiet back alleys and side streets. Main roads and shopping streets were jam packed with so many people, it was almost impossible to get through. There were stalls, street performers, music and dancing.

Natsu couldn't help the notice the fire symbol on nearly everything. So much so, he was beginning to feel a growing curiosity towards the so-called heroes; the fire troupe.

Houses began to scatter out and disperse the further away they got from the town. The houses were still stained the burning colours of a sunset. All except for one.

When they reached their destination, they noticed the small concrete bungalow painted a gloomy shade of grey.

"It seems as though our client isn't as supportive of the fire troupe." Gray commented.

"I wonder why not?" Wendy thought aloud.

"Let's find out shall we?" Erza suggested, already heading down the damp dirt path towards the shady bungalow.

The group followed shortly after her.

They met a narrow wooden door that had a pin-size hole half-covered by a piece of metal near the top. A heavy gauntlet rasped against it.

"Who's there?" A dry-cracked voice screamed back almost instantly. Everyone leapt in fright at the sheer volume of the voice.

"W- We're from Fairy Tail. You sent us a request about a missing child?" Erza recovered. There was a short moment of suspended silence.

A faint click echoed behind the door. It was soon followed by a loud creak with the door swinging open. "I see... that's why none of my traps had gone off."The voice grumbled from low down. Twelve wizard eyes fell onto the short women at the door.

She was barely taller than Natsu's knee; which was about the same size as Happy. Long grey hair fell down her back and trailed endlessly into the room and out of sight. Pale beady eyes reviewed them each at a time. Skin from her face drooped heavily from her cheeks bones and wrinkled the corner of her eyes.

"Are you Madam Charlotte?" Gray asked cautiously.

"I am!" The woman bellowed.

"Is this old lady-" Natsu went to speak before something suddenly caught him at the back of his head, sending his face shovelling for dirt. Pain resonated waves of headaches through his thick skull.

When he looked up, he saw the old lady stood in front of him, one hand fiddling with a plastic device in her ear, the other holding a newspaper. The old lady hit him with a newspaper...but it hurt so much...How?!

"Close your mouth dear, or you'll catch flies." The woman spoke softly, tapping the chin of Natsu's jaw-dropped face gently. "Follow me." She ordered, disappearing behind the door.

"Scary..." The guys mumbled in shock.

"How is she in such good shape?" Gray grumbled in disbelief.

"How can she jump so high?" Happy questioned, thinking of how she reached the super-tall dragon slayers head. After all, he was the tallest among them, with Gray as a close second.

"How is she so strong?" Natsu whimpered, nursing his wounds.

Erza, Wendy and Carla, on the contrary, looked delighted and inspired with the woman as they followed thoughtlessly into the bungalow.

Inside there was only the bare necessity; a small kitchen with an old iron stove, a fire place, a small bathroom, two soldier beds and a couch. There was also a small rocking chair where the old lady rocked back and forth.

It would have seemed normal if it wasn't for all the hair. It was everywhere! Endlessly looping around objects, tracking on the floor, hanging from the ceiling. Natsu couldn't even tell where it ended. All he knew was that it started from the back of the small woman's head. Natsu felt the dire need to cut his hair at that moment.

The girls sat on the couch, divided by trailing hair, while the boys manoeuvred around the sashes of hanging grey threads to stand behind them.

"I am Madam Charlotte. I am the one who posted that request." The old woman stated, creaking back on her chair.

"You send this request mentioning a missing child. Could you please elaborate?" Erza requested politely.

"Yes." The woman answered warily. The creaking of her chair stopped. "Have you heard of the Earl to the west?"

"Yes, the inn keeper in town told us about him." Erza responded.

"So you know what he's like?" She asked and they each nodded in turn. "Then you won't find it hard to believe me when I tell you he's the one who kidnapped my son."

"The Earl did?" Gray cut in with Natsu close on his heels.

"I thought the fire troupe was protecting the town from the likes of him?" Natsu exclaimed.

"Ah, Tanaka told you of the fire troupe as well. Well, my son was kidnapped a few days before the fire troupe arrived. I pleaded and pleaded but they said that they couldn't go save him and that I should move on." Tears began to swell in Madam Charlotte's small eyes, cupped by the small bags under her lower lid. "But how is a mother supposed to forget about her own son so easily?" Wendy leapt forwards to comfort the woman.

"I had a feeling there wasn't something quite right about this fire troupe." Natsu growled. "How could someone say that?"

"Calm down, Natsu." Erza snapped, catching his attention.

"How am I supposed to calm down when those people expect others to leave behind the people they love?" Natsu roared. His breath was hot and heavy, the anger slowly drawing to a stop, and his words dawning on him. Everyone around him stared in surprise. Even Happy was left speechless. Natsu's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. He closed it shut again before he simply turned and left out the door.

"Natsu..." Happy whimpered after him.

Smoke was brimming from his ears. Nails dug into his clenched fists. Sparks danced feverously over his skin as frustration was rising again like a sudden emotional flood gate had burst open.

"Dammit!" Natsu growled, slamming his fist into the nearest tree. It slammed into the bark, sending splintered wood scattering.

His fist stayed buried in the tree for a long while. Slowly, but surely, the flood gates closed and the heat boiling his frustration died. In the end, he was left with a sense of irritation and tiredness. The previous storm had tired him enough and the emotions just amplified that.

Carefully, Natsu drew back his fist, bark crumbling against the forest floor. Wait...A forest? Dark eyes leapt around manically. There were trees! Trees everywhere! As far as the eye could see! But when did he even come into the forest? He didn't even remember there even being forest. How far had he walked in his moment of blind frustration?

"Those who wander are like those who search." An all too familiar voice began. "They look and look at everything in hopes of finding something. But when they walk too far, or look too long, they seem to forget the something their searching for."

"You again." Natsu growled, turning to his right. In the branches of the half-broken tree was, as expected, Desmond. The grey rag cloak was off and folded over his lap, revealing his worse torn black shirt and trousers. His bare feet fiddled with a fragile branch and his hands were holding another broken branch like a wand, letting the leaves rustle as he flicked it around in the air. "Why do you always appear when I'm on my own? And why more riddles?" Natsu growled, with more irritation than actual threat. A thought spun on his face as he clasped his head in his palms. "I must be going crazy..."

"Crazy or Sane? Blind or Sight? Here or not?" Desmond sang. "Either way, a pair of an opposite attract like magnets."

"Are you saying we're both crazy or just me?" Natsu asked wearily, looking up from his palms with tired eyes. "You know what, don't answer that."

Desmond just gave him a knowing smile, as if he knew everything in the world. Natsu couldn't be sure he didn't. "So..." Natsu left his crazy diagnosis for later. "What's this something I'm supposedly searching for?"

Desmond twiddled his twig in the air with a thoughtful expression, before letting it fall onto the dragon slayer. "Leaves dance as they fall in the season of autumn. But now the rain comes in spring where the saplings grow." Desmond responded in the same manner as usual; a riddle, much to Natsu's disappointment.

"A tree again?" Natsu growled, swinging his arm out to his side and turning, gesturing to all the trees. "If you haven't noticed, we're surrounded by trees!" He called. But as it turned out, he wasn't talking to anyone; the tree branch was vacant with the twig balanced in the branch, pointing down at him.

"I've really got to stop turning my back on that guy." Natsu sighed, watching the green spring leaves fall onto the dragon slayers pink hair. "I really am crazy." He grumbled, plucking the leaves from his soft, spiky hair. "Hey, my hair went down!" His puffy mane had settled back into his normal shaggy spikes, much to his relief.

Suddenly, something tore through the leaf, snapping the green in half. Flames instantly coiled around his fists, but he was already surrounded. Fifteen? Sixteen? No, there were almost thirty figures in black, harboured within the forests.

"Come on out! I know you're there!" Natsu roared. One by one they slowly emerged from all around him in a fifty meter radius.

"Leave wizard. You are not permitted in the forest of the west." One spoke.

"Oh yeah? Who said that?" Natsu taunted, but his body was on high alert. Those people were dangerous.

"The Earl of the West, our Lord." It replied. So they worked under the tyrant lord. "Please leave."

"And if I say no?" Natsu knew he was poking the sleeping beast, but he had a feeling if he did choose to leave, it wouldn't be alive.

"We will have you escorted off the property." It formally answered.

"Okay, then." Natsu gave up, diminishing his flames and raising his hands in surrender. "I think I'll leave..."

The dragon slayer was slowly turning his back on them, seeing the tree ahead of him where a thin, red-tailed dart stuck into the tree. It must have been what broke the leaf. But there wasn't something familiar about it, something he didn't like. Just as he turned the wind rustled through the forest, scattering fallen leaves.

"NOT!" Natsu bellowed, flames coating his fists as it slammed into the advancing body of the man in black, sending him flying through the forest, knocking down trees with such powerful force.

A split second later, the other 29 launched forwards.

"Don't think I just sat around for three years!" Natsu yelled. "Dragon slayer art..." Natsu began to call, just as the figures collapsed against the ground. Dark eyes widened in surprise, staring at them dumbfounded.

Every single one of them was unconscious. "Wow, I mean I knew I can be intimidating but..." something caught the corner of his eye. Knees lowered him down towards one of the fallen henchmen. A barely visible glass needle stuck into their neck. "What is that?" The dragon slayer wandered reaching forwards.

"Touch that and you'll be poisoned like the rest of them." A young voice warned. Natsu pulled back his hand and turned around.

Soft lilac hair fell on either side of a small round face. A purple and black crop top and shorts clutched to her slim straight figure. Pale skin contrasted to her deep brown eyes. But what caught Natsu's eye the most was the tattoo on her hip; the symbol of the fire troupe that nearly every towns folk had, except it had the number '6' in the middle.

"Pretty neat huh," She grinned, fanning out a display of glass needles in one hand. Dark eyes jumped back to the figure on the ground, but the needle was gone.

"How did you?" Natsu uttered in astonishment.

"The others called me whippet like the race dog. I'm the fastest runner mage in the entire country." The girl bragged. "My real name is Mana though, Mana Cartel.

"Why are you telling me this?" Natsu felt his suspicions rise up. The girl had to be no older than 15 or 16; however, he couldn't help but wonder who she was and what she wanted. There was something not quite right about her.

"I thought it would be rude if I began groundlessly telling you to leave without telling you my name first." The girl replied. "And I don't want to end up like that guy you sent flying back there."

"If you wanted me to leave, you should have left it up to those guys." Natsu countered, nudging a body on the floor with his foot.

"No can do." She sighed, wagging a finger playfully. "The number one rule for all members is to never leave anyone where you can offer your help. Although you probably didn't need it." She added, thinking back to the man who took down the line of trees in the distance

"And what group do you belong to?" Natsu asked, half with actually mild curiosity.

"Huh? You don't recognise this?" the girl tapped her tattoo, and pointed to herself. "I'm a member of the fire troupe."

"You're a member of the fire troupe?" Natsu exclaimed.

"You can tell the actual members apart from the fans because of the number. Look, mine has a si-"The girl couldn't finish her sentence before a fist crashed into the tree besides her, dodging her face by an inch.

"HEY!" Mana snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

A dark shadow cast over his face, his pink hair falling like a veil. His body was frozen with an inhuman stillness. Only his voice resonated through the quiet forest.

"You're the group that claim to be the saviours of that town? That claim to be heroes? That renames the town?" Natsu growled, his voice rising sharply. "Yet, you dare...you dare." Suddenly his neck snapped up and his hair fell back, his eyes burning into the girl with terrifying intensity.. "YOU DARE TELL SOMEONE TO LEAVE THEIR LOVED ONE TO DIE!"

Flames burst uncontrollably from his fist. They were so hot that the tree burst into flames instantly and crumbled to dust in seconds.

The girl stumbled backwards on to the pile of ash, scrambling back in shock to avoid his gaze.

"DEVIL: SINNER'S FIRE!" A voice yelled from afar. Natsu had no time to react as a ball of silver fire rushed into his chest, knocking his feet out from underneath him.

The dragon slayer was sent rocketing through tree after tree, shattering each one into a thousand shards. "Iron fist of the fire dragon!" Natsu yelled, slamming his fist down. The bullet crashed down into the earth and the dragon slayer came to painful crash against a large oak tree.

Despite his injuries, his anger fuelled him forwards back towards where the girl was. He wanted answers and a super huge ball of fire wasn't going to stop him.

He must have flown at least a mile before he managed to get back.

When he arrived, it was just as expected; they were gone. The red tailed dart in the tree was also gone. All that was left was the pile of ash, without even the men in black's bodies to suggest anyone else but Natsu was there.

As he worked his way back to the bungalow, his rage quelled and the pain set in. A dull throbbing sent aching pulses through every one of his muscles. Whatever the attack was that hit him, had early packed a punch.

On his way back, he checked to see if the fire ball was still there, but it wasn't, there was just a gaping crater and charred soil. Everything seemed to be disappearing on him recently. Speaking of disappearing, he had forgotten about Desmond. Wasn't they talking about a tree? Oh well, Natsu had yet to find any meaning in what nonsense Desmond sprouted. At least that day on the hill, he somewhat understood. After, he began appearing more and more with more riddles to share. Natsu was beginning to lose the little will he had to think.

By the time night fell on the little town hope, Natsu had finally managed to make it back. He ached all over and was harbouring a tired and irritable attitude. What made things worse was the constant reminder of his frustration towards the fire troupe throughout the town.

"Natsu!" Happy called from the sky. "Where were you? Everyone's waiting at the inn." White wings dissolved into the dust as the cat fell into walk besides him.

"Yo, Happy." Natsu grumbled.

"You look terrible. Did you fall down somewhere?" Happy asked curiously. White wings reappeared as the cat wanted a closer look at the bruised and swollen face of the dragon slayer.

"Something like that." Natsu grumbled, raking a hand through his hair as the pair walked back to the inn.

_ Back at the inn..._

"You were attacked!" The group exclaimed.

"By who?" Erza interrogated the tired pink-haired boy. "Why? When? Where?"

"In some woods. Once I left the bungalow-" Natsu began. A heavy crush of a gauntlet crashed against skull. "OW!" Natsu yelped. "What was that for?"

"Storming off on your own during a mission." Erza bluntly replied. "Continue."

Natsu didn't have the energy to argue. He leaned back in the red couch as Wendy began to heal his bruises, leaving Erza's painful headache be for punishment purposes.

"I ended up in the west forest somehow and Desmond showed up with another weird riddle. After that, there were these people in black who ambushed me. I got one of 'em, but they all got shot in the neck with this invisible needle and went down. Before, I knew it, there was this girl calling herself 'Muppet' and claimed she was a troupe member, and then..." Natsu's voice drowned out, his fists coiling up at his sides.

"And then what?" Grey pressed, but his eyes showed what he was expecting to come.

"I got mad." Natsu replied. "But this big grey fire ball sent me crashing a mile through the trees. When I managed to get back, they were gone." Skin throbbed as his hand squeezed even tighter with the memoires of his old frustrations creeping up. They died the instant the gauntlet knocked his face against the floor.

"Natsu?" Happy exclaimed, flying to the pile of bones groaning in pain against the bristly rug.

"That was for getting into a fight...alone," Erza scolded. "Don't do it again."

"Y- Yes mam'." Natsu groaned.

Gray stared across the room. Even though Erza said that, she was actually afraid of leaving Natsu alone. Who really knew where Natsu's pent up anger and frustration would take him? If he had gone wild after Lucy's death and fought anyone and everyone it would have been best. Instead, he just shut it all away, leaving the anger to fester inside of him like some kind of disease.

"Everyone needs to get some rest; we'll set out for the west castle tomorrow." Erza commanded and disappeared behind her door. Wendy and Carla followed soon after.

It was just Gray, Natsu and Happy.

"By the way, Natsu," Gray turned from their bedroom doorway. "Who's Desmond?"

Natsu flinched. He'd accidentally brought up the maybe delusional, maybe real, guy before the dragon slayer could determine whether he was a figment of his imagination or not. "Um, just some guy I saw in the forest." Natsu shrugged, climbing to his feet.

"Oh," Gray replied. His dark eyes gave him a long, knowing stare, before he finally turned and disappeared behind the door.

"Natsu," Happy spoke, and the dragon slayer turned towards him. "Are you crazy?"

"W- What? Why do you say that?" Natsu replied in panic. Could Natsu really be crazy and Happy noticed it too? If that was the case he must be crazy; he trusts Happy too much to doubt him.

"I mean, fighting a girl and losing?" Happy shrugged. Natsu stared at him with wide eyes and a hanging mouth in astonishment, before realising what they cat had suggested.

"Hey!" Natsu snapped with relief and irritation. "I didn't lose! And it wasn't the girl! It was someone else who beat me up!"

"Oh, so you did lose, just not to that girl. Okay, Natsu! I understand now." Happy grinned mischievously, skipping happily towards the door.

"Oi! I told you I didn't lose!" Natsu protested, following after him.

Birds tweeted harmonically, darting around the blue skies above the burning colours of the forest below; greens, browns, reds and yellows all hung from the darkening branches in small clusters as they began to prepare for the on coming winter. As the faintly chilling breeze dusted the fallen leaves across the soft green grass, it held a the weak crisp scent of the season, capturing the dragon slayer's sensitive nose.

"Natsu!" Lucy called from ahead. Long blonde hair captured in the wind sailed like a golden flag with a pale arm waving encouragingly at the pink-haired boy lumbering tiredly behind. "Come on or we'll miss it!"

"Did we really have to walk this far?" Natsu whined, heaving a large sigh as his head lifted up against his slumping shoulders. Dark black eyes looked at Lucy's excited brown eyes with a pout on his lips.

"Don't whine." Lucy chastised, wagging a pale finger at his face when he finally caught up to her. Another hand set on her hip, displaying her natural authoritative stance at the dragon slayer. "It'll be worth the walk." Brown irises turned back to look up at the path ahead of them with a pleasant smile at the bright sunlight shining down on them both. They fell back onto the exhausted and unmotivated dragon slayer dragging his feet along the grass, scuffing up handfuls of blades at a time, continuing to walk up the slope of the approaching tall hill. Finally, a soft sigh escaped her smiling sympathetic lips. "We can eat the picnic when we get there." She added, watching the dull black eyes appear full of life again. They dazed off into a little thought bubble of his own as his mouth slowly fell open.

"Food..." Natsu drooled with a pleasantly relaxed face. Lucy heard the sound of the bubble pop as the slayer straightened his spine, turning onto the girl as quick as a whip. Warm large hands rested heavily on her shoulders, making the girl jump as he brought his face suddenly close to hers. Pink eyebrows knitted together as dark black eyes began to fill with seriousness. "The faster we get there the quicker we get to eat, right?"

"Yeah..." Lucy uttered, hearing her voice come out small and quiet through the burning pink pallor of her cheeks. A rustling wind whispered through the tree tops as Lucy felt the familiar dread in her stomach when she looked at the dragon slayer's widening bright eyes with a concerning gleam. "Natsu, what are you-"

Before the mage got a chance to finish what she was saying, her stomach rose into her chest as she was tossed into the air. A frightened scream caught in her mouth by her heart flying into her throat, caught in the momentary freeze of mid air. When she landed in the big pair of warm, strong arms, the scream finally found its way out. "KYAA! NATSU!" She cried, but his feet were already racing up the big green hill at an inhuman rate.

When they finally reached the top, Natsu gently set the girl down one leg at a time. Disorientation hit her first as her weak legs stumbled across the grass like a drunkard. A white hand landed heavily against the tall wide oak that sat on the hill looking out over Magnolia's familiar city buildings as the sapphire blue ocean that laid even further into the distance.

A frightening silence fell over the celestial mage as the dragon slayer's innocently curious eyes tried to see past the veil of blonde shadowing her eyes.

"Um...Luce?" Natsu spoke, reaching out a hand. It got within an inch of her arm before it ended up jerking back, along with the rest of his body. Steam sizzled from the end of the spirit wizard's shoe, as her brown eyes glared down at the dragon slayer. The famous 'Lucy kick' had sent the slayer flying backwards by a good couple of feet in surprise where he still laid crippled on the grass. Fortunately for him, it hadn't contained enough force to send him flying back down the hill. However, it did leave his face with a stinging pink mark across his cheek in the shape of footprint.

The anger swept from her with a satisfied smile, her brown eyes capturing something in the distance. Flaxen stands of hair swept through the crisp air, spinning on her heels. The feet never stopped moving as they swept swiftly across the grass as she raced to the other side of the hill.

Deep chocolate irises looked out over into the October sky hanging above the evening city and the gentle oceans. Cool blues were fading into the golden yellows and burning reds cast across the canvassed sky like an artist's brush, smothered by the burning glow of the setting sun. It was as if the sky had been lit by dazzling flames, curling around the orb of light setting on the horizon, melting into the deep blue waves of the ocean.

"Look Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly, unable to take her eyes away from the scene in front of her for a second. "Quick come look!" She cried, suddenly turning her face towards him.

His strong arms held his aching body up when he felt his breath fall silent. Dark onyx jewels stared forwards like frozen glass, captured by the scene right before his eyes. His heart in his chest stilled as a warm heat flushed through his entire body, dropping his jaw down so low it almost touched the grass.

Beautiful golden hair danced over the burning orange skies. Big brown eyes like the sweet colour of honey as the light swept over her flawless pale skin. A big smile on her calm, inspired face looked down on him with so much joy it was overwhelming. The autumnal sun's florescent light burned a ring of light around the mage's glowing body. Dark eyes stared at the girl like the prettiest jewel in the world, alight with the colour of nature.

Her smile grew wider as a pale white hand swept through the air, extending down to the boy.

At first he looked at it with a confused stare, but as he turned back to her beautiful face, he instantly knew what he meant. Pink hair rustled in the growing breeze as his hand reached forwards, rising from his knees.

Just as his fingers closed in near hers, he felt the ice cold patter of rain drops on his skin. Onyx irises fell down on his lightly tanned skin, seeing the small tears of water run down the surface of his skin. Grey clouds clotted heavily above the sky, smothering the warm autumn glow. White light rippled through the darkness like flashing knives with the thunder splitting the air with its terrifying roars. Light rain instantly swarmed into a heavy shower as it crashed to the ground in waves.

Wet mud crashed against the slayer's face as his body was thrust down into the deep, thick puddles. "LUCY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Black, dull eyes fell onto the figure, swallowed by the deep veil of rain around her dirt stained face. Soft brown orbs, wide with sadness and fear, could barely hang on any longer. The white outstretched hand desperately reaching for him was growing weaker. Blonde hair plastered by the rain and dyed brown by the mud, clung to her paling skin. "LET ME GO!" The dragon slayer roared, desperately begging his body to move. But all of it was futile.

Time seemed to slow and sound seemed to fall silent as the strength finally swept from the girl. Her long white arm, extending out to him, used its final strength, dropping into the wet mud splattering up her skin. The despairing expression on her white face faded into nothing. Chocolate brown irises that pleaded to him, lost their hoping glow as her pale eyes finally fell shut. The last few tears rolled down her cold cheeks and her body went still.

"No...it can't be..." Natsu uttered, dark eyes staring wide at the still figure in the distance. Something sharp reached into his chest and lunged for his heart, tearing it from his ribs. Hot heavy breathes felt like stones being shoved down his throat. Water welled up at the edges of his frozen glass eyes as burning tears rolled down over his numb cheeks. All his mind, body and soul burst at the crash of the thunder as he fell into the closing darkness of agony and rage. "NO! LUCY!"

The dragon slayer launched forwards, darkness instantly swallowing his vision. Panic coursed through his veins as his heart crashed against his rib cage like a wild horse. Deep heavy breathes panted through his dry, raw throat as cold sweat ran down over his numb shaking body.

As his eyes slowly adjusted and his racing heart calmed, Natsu began to recognise his surroundings; he was in his bed, in the inn. A shaky, tired sigh slowly chattered from his lips, his face dropping into his palms. Fingertips pressed against the ice cold skin of his face, feeling the wet damp contours of his cheeks. When he pulled them away, he saw the small rain droplets running down his palm. More rolled down his chin, pitter pattering against the sheets beneath his sharp elbows. An alienated stare glowered down at them in confusion when his mind wondered if there was a leak. He looked up, and looked across the room to the window above where the ice mage was asleep in the twin bed across from him, and saw no leak. It was at that moment, that he reached up again and felt the damp skin under his raw, tired eyes. He had been crying.

Night still darkened the city sky as ferocious winds restlessly rattled the pain-curling windows. Fog dusted the cold streets as condensate water droplets latched to the glass and distorted the view on the other side through the water prisms.

Onyx eyes leapt to the other side of the room and back to the bottom of his bed where he slipped his legs out from under the warm cotton sheets. Both Gray and Happy were sleeping soundly when his feet touched the cold wooden floor, picking up his heavy body from the bed. Fortunately, he managed to make it to the door without disturbing the pair, quick-stepping over the floorboards that creaked and slipping out the plain white door.

On the other side pf the door, darkness still shrouded the lobby as the pink-haired boy cautiously studied his surroundings with his sharp dragon slayer eyes. The vague shape of the lantern across the room caught his eyes and he made his way towards it, carefully trying to avoid the table and chairs. A small flame leapt up from his finger and jumped to life in the lantern. The dragon slayer set it on the table, analysing his pink red toe that inevitably managed to stub itself on every leg it could find. With an extra fiddle with the key, the flame grew even bigger and managed to give the room a dim lighting.

Wheezing puffs of air leapt from the cushions when the dragon slayer dropped his body onto the soft couch with heavy sigh, tucking his hands behind his head. Jet black eyes stared dully up at the plain ceiling, listening to the turbulent winds rattling the loose windows and the soft whispers of his sleeping friends.

It had been a while since Natsu had been in a happy dream with Lucy, although, it ended up the way they always did. Still, it reminded him of the times from long, long ago when he still understood what true happiness was. Every time he thought back to that far away feeling, it always made him realise how lonely he felt without her. At those times, he wished he could see her smile more than anything. "Natsu," Her voice resounded in his ears like a chiming bell that echoed into the darkness locked up deep inside. All of it made his heart ache and his eyes sting, reminding him just how fragile the cold soul inside of him was. It was still surprising to find he was crying; after that day that she went missing, Natsu hadn't been able to cry since. Even at her funeral, his body just couldn't bring himself to shed one tear.

However, he knew the reason he had cried at that dream; it wasn't for the sorrow he buried, but for the happiness he missed.

Natsu tossed and turned but found his mind on and endless loop, digging its way into the hidden part of his heart where his old, shut-off emotions were locked away. As the night drew on, it seemed like rest was fleeting even further away from him.

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**Next Monday; Chapter 4:  
_ Team Natsu finds them put in an unlikely predicament when the rest of the team finally come face to face with the Fire Troupe..._**

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	4. The Misunderstood

Destiny's Demise

Chapter 4:The Misunderstood  


Sleep circles hung heavily from under the dragon slayers dark eyes as he trudged tiresomely through the trees. Occasionally, long tired sighs would escape his lips, kicking the odd pile of leaves now and then and watching them flutter to the floor before moving on. Looks passed between the guild members as they gave the dragon slayer their own curious looks, but none of them brought themselves to speak to him, which would have provided that they knew what to say.

After about half an hour of walking through the cold forest, damp with the after-storm rain without the humidity from the day before, they reached the sight of Natsu's earlier explosive rage. Before arriving, they had stopped to check in with Madam Charlotte and have been walking ever since.

"Is this it, Natsu?" Happy called from ahead. Dull eyes looked up from his self-pity gaze trailing along the floor and caught the cat's face. They moved passed the small feline and spotted the tree with a concave hole in the middle of it. Beneath it was a pile of black and grey ashes, confirming their location. After nodding to the group, he found his eyes moving to the tree across from the scene. A long flexible branch reached out with another small twig still balanced on the edge. At first, he had expected Desmond to still be sat there, waving his little twig like a wand again, but of course, he wasn't.

Gray and Erza's feet stepped careful around the scene, their eyes sharp and calculating with their eyebrows furrowed together. Every few moments they exchanged worried glances and carried on.

After sniffing around the scene a little longer they decided there was nothing much of use there and carried on. Natsu wanted to go check out the charred hole of the fireball but it would take too much time as a detour. Besides, Gray and Erza gathered all they needed just from the long line of knocked down trees.

Everyone engaged in mindless chatter through the duration of the walk with the dragon slayer and the cat lagging a little further behind, chatting about the silver fire ball. Wendy talked about Madam Charlotte to her own exceed, and Erza and Gray discussed information they had gathered on the earl when they returned to the village while Natsu was throwing his tantrum. Natsu argued from behind, saying it wasn't anything like a 'tantrum' as they called it, but they both dismissed him with a simple sigh.

"What do we do if we get to the Earl's mansion and the fire troupe is there?" Gray hypothesised, running a hand habitually over his short black hair and dusting it on his shorts.

"You mean, what will Natsu do?" Erza countered, raising an eyebrow at the ice mage. Both their eyes peaked over their shoulders at the glum and irritable dragon slayer sluggishly carrying the feline on his head. A certain sense of worry plagued them with the unpredictability of the dragon slayer as it did for the every mission they had been on for the past three years.

"Yeah, that's what I meant..." Gray mumbled, his gaze falling back onto the route ahead of them. Once again, his eyes pretended to look interested in his surroundings, but the equip mage knew they were too deep in thought to really take notice of them.

"Who knows what he'll do or how we're suppose to handle him." Erza shrugged, brushing a stray red hair behind her ear, following its silk thread down to the same inch it had been for three years. Her hands paused at the tip, thinking Gray might have been right about her hair; maybe she should try to change it for once. If her heart was ready to move on after Lucy's death, maybe her hair should too.

"You know, with the whole kidnapping children for two and a half years, and being nearby to that place...you don't think..." Gray's voice drowned out into the whisper of the breeze, leaving his suggestion hanging in the air. Erza caught the end of it immediately. Dark eyes snapped onto him with surprise, but at the same time they hid the old understanding. Apparently, Gray hadn't been the first to think of it.

"...that Natsu and Lucy were attacked by the Earl?" She finally finished, purposely keeping her voice lower than she knew Natsu could hear. Even after three years of growing deeper into his dragon slayer senses, Erza was still well aware of his hearing limits.

"We never did find out who they were." Gray added. Sharp eyes fell onto the ice mage's as she noticed the old Fira of hope beginning to resurface in his eyes. It reminded her of the painful weeks of searching when Lucy had first gone. It was the same small piece of hope that caused so much pain and disappointment so long ago. A small pang echoed deep in her heart, uncovering her own hidden part of her emotion that still felt so raw. "What if Lucy is alive?" Gray continued. "Do you think she found out about the Earl and joined the fire troupe? What do we tell Natsu?"

"Nothing." Erza answered bluntly. The hope that sparked in Gray's eyes slowly began to fade back into their own little holes of darkness inside. "We're just baselessly guessing; we can't be sure any of it is true."

A quiver passed over the ice mage's lips as he hesitated to speak. At first, it seemed like he was ready to argue, but the spark had already been smothered. "You're right." The ice mage sighed, his dark eyes turning to the front of him again. Erza hadn't wanted to distinguish the ice-make wizard's hope so harshly. It wasn't like his theory was groundless; in fact, Erza had thought exactly the same thing before. However, it would be wrong to let the boy go racing down a path they couldn't be sure lead to even more pain.

Dark eyes glanced back over her steel-plated shoulder towards the pink haired dragon slayer arguing passionately to the cat about not having lost to the girl from the day before. A little ache of guilt withered its way into his heart curling around the lock that kept the old emotions hidden deep within her chest. It was cut off sharply as she realised they weren't alone.

"Who's there?" Erza bellowed, her gauntlet jumping to the handle of her sword. Its blade hissed as it slid from its sheathe, turning into a very, very dangerous weapon. Alert shot through the rest of the team as they all geared up for a fight.

Sudden winds surged up between them, as their eyes caught the indigo blur darting through the tree tops. It landed on the path ahead of them with long lilac hair with blue and purple clothing and a handful of glass needles.

"You!" Natsu glared, flames instantly cloaking his hands with gloves of fire. They rippled and jumped from his hands as his irritation and anger peaked at her face.

"It's not _'you'_! I told you, my name's Mana, the 'Whippet'. Use it!" The girl whined, showing a devilish and toying smile on her small face. However, between her eyes there was still that little bit of fear from the day before that she hadn't quite managed to hide completely. "And I'm surprised you're so feisty compared to your friends." The girl, Mana, continued, holding her knowing smile under the sadistic one.

"What?" Natsu snapped, turning on his heels. He realised everyone had been very quiet and very still until that point as his eyes fell on his team members. All their bodies lay unmoving against the forest floor with their eyes closed and their breaths shallow. "Oi! Get a hold of yourself!" The dragon slayer yelled, dropping down besides Gray. Handfuls of the ice mage's clothes were squeezed into Natsu's fists as he violently shook his limp body. "Oi!"

"Don't worry." Mana shrugged, leaning against the thick bark of the tree. Five glass needles pointed in his direction with the slow flip of her wrist with an exaggerated yawn from her tree. "They're just unconscious."

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIENDS!" Natsu roared, fire launching from his feet, propelling his body through the air. Dark eyes narrowed on the girl with a hungry glare, lips peeling back over his sharp fangs into a snarl.

"MOON!" A voice yelled. Natsu instantly recognised it as the mysterious voice that interrupted him yesterday. "Steel Io!"

Before Natsu even got chance to react, a huge steel ball appeared in the air above him from what seemed like nowhere, and crushed him in a second. His hard built body slammed against the ground into a man-made crater, sending burst of hot pain through his body. A roar of pain was smothered by his own dying gasp for air as the giant steel ball dissolved into dust above him.

Two legs straddled his back, a hand pressing his head roughly into the earth. Whoever it was felt so much lighter in comparison to the steel ball but the pain that flushed through his bruised body couldn't tell the difference. A sharp piercing prick pushed under the skin of his neck, squeezing a cold, chilling liquid into his veins. It managed to hit the only point in his body that could be penetrated by a needle; anywhere else on his body, his body would break the sharp point of the needle before it could even break his skin. Whoever was pinning him down knew where his weak point was and used it to their advantage.

As they let go, slipping the needle free, Natsu had a split second chance to opportunity to look up into the face of his attacker. Dark eyes snapped upwards as he felt the flood of the cold foreign liquid spreading through his veins. Bright red hair the colour of a blazing fire danced in the air, as a blurred right hand pushed it back behind their ear, baring their fire troupe tattoo with the number '2' written on it. Before he could see anything else, darkness the swept in and smothered the rest of his struggling consciousness.

Sharp ringing whistled in his ears with the dull throbbing radiating down his spine. As the dragon slayer slowly peeled his eyelids apart, a blurred film fading in and out of focus with his head seemingly rolled around his shoulders. A sharp prick pierced his neck yet again sending a sharp bite through his nerves. His vision rapidly cleared, the aching throb relaxed and the ringing in his ears dazed out into the faint sounds of rustling trees in the distance. Pink hair jerked back as his head shot up, followed by a chorus of relieved sighs all around him.

Dark eyes flashed to either side of him, catching the other sets of eyes all on him. Everyone was staring at him, lined up either side of him, strapped to a wooden chair with rope. Their and ankles and hands were all tied together too, just as his own were when he looked down at his own tied up self. "Why are we all tied up?" Natsu grumbled, still feeling a little groggy, despite the waking prick in his neck.

"We were captured, idiot." Grey growled irritably, two chairs to his left with poor Wendy stuck in between. Unfortunately, three years of growth had put her at the disadvantageous height at the level of both boys' glares.

"Say what, Ice princess?" Natsu snapped. Their eyes met and electricity seemed to spark between their intense glaring, and menacing snarls. A small whimper came from the air dragon slayer as she tried to keep her head down and out of the way. Eventually, it was Gray who turned away first with a grumble of irritation, leaving the dragon slayer to feel misplaced victory. "I'm breaking out!" The dragon slayer declared, tensing all the muscles in his body, ready to burn the rope to a crisp in a second.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." An all too familiarly cheeky voice appeared from behind a curtain. Dusk's dark navies and greyish-blues were visible in the sky through the momentary gap as a small purple-haired girl walked through the doorway. It seemed as though they were in some kind of tent with pale, thick cotton walls and a pointed roof cascading up above them. Small candles stood on the ends of posts with little white paper sheets cocooning around them, blocking out the wind. There was also small glass lids sat over the top of them with little holes that were big enough to let oxygen in, but too small for Natsu to suck the fire out.

"Muppet!" Happy squealed from besides the dragon slayer on his right. Dark eyes fell onto the small cat tied to the oversized chair next to him. It seems their captures hadn't been able to tie the cat to their chair as well as they had with the other human wizards. It seems his little legs couldn't reach beyond the edge of the seat, the same went for Carla too who sat on Happy's right.

"It's not Muppet!" Mana exclaimed with a crimson cast of frustration to her eyes. "It's _whippet_!"

"Why not?" Natsu argued, ignoring the girl's desperate cries to be acknowledged. Raw anger still hadn't settled as he glared at the girl that always seemed to bring the worst out of him. It made it all worst as he realised he had been captured by the fire troupe that made him so frustrated.

"You see that rope." The girl pointed to his chest at the place where he was pinned to the chair. Pale rope wound around and around his body and around the back of the chair with frayed, worn edges and a few red blotches absorbed by the material. Blood stains, Natsu thought with absolute certainty, which hadn't enlightened as much as the small girl probably hoped.

Attention returned to her again as she lifted a short piece in display from her hand. "This rope is a special kind of rope from the west. It gets tighter each time you try to use your magic." Her hand wrapped it in a loose loop around her other wrist a few times and knotted the ends. A gust surged up in the centre of the room with the flickering image of the girl disappearing and reappearing a second apart.

Once the winds settled, and the wobbling light stabilized, the girl lifted up her wrist again. "Look," she said, displaying her arm for them all to see. Colour in her hand had paled into a soft purple as the rope squeezed around her wrist, showing that the rope had gotten a lot tighter.

"Mana, if you keep doing that your hand will drop off." Another voice cut in; the voice of the other fire troupe member. A tall figure moved past the corner of the dragon slayer's vision, carrying a long needle in hand. Her presence had completely vanquished and he hadn't even sensed her standing right behind him. There were looks on the others faces that seemed surprised, except of course, Erza's. Her dark eyes narrowed on the woman as she moved into view, openly expressing her caution. It had seemed weird to the dragon slayer when Gray was the one to have backed down, instead of having the reequip mage make them cut it out like usual. He finally realised what had made her so quiet.

"You!" The pink-haired boy hissed bitterly, with the sour taste of defeat as he put together his earlier waking prick and the needle in her hands. Sharp black eyes focused on her with a poisonous glare as she walked calmly and confidently into view. She was tall, about the same height as Erza with a slim figure and a big chest. Chalk white skin contrasted her keen emerald eyes staring through the high black collar of the long cloak wrapped over her fairly broad shoulders. Fire red hair fell down her back in waves, fading from a deep red to a ginger orange and flaxen gold like a burning flame. From the angle of Natsu's chair he could vaguely see the familiar fire troupe symbol he saw before on her right hand with the number '2' written clearly in the middle.

"It seems there are some misconceptions between us, dragon slayer." The woman reached out, pulling an empty chair from a stack besides Carla and straddling it. Two black knee-high boots wrapped around the back legs of the chair, resting her arms on the supporting arch. Green jewels watched the dragon slayer with distaste and a fine line on her lips that could frown at the slightest utter.

"You mean the fact that you're happy to tell someone to leave their loved ones behind?" Natsu growled, reminded of the old, helpless woman left to leave her only son in grips of the Earl. It made his blood boil at just the thoughts of them even suggesting it. It wouldn't even surprise him if they were in cahoots with the Earl and wanted to keep the old lady quiet. A slight flinch shuddered through the woman's spine. Emerald green darkened as the straight line instantly bent into a frown of irritation.

For a moment, she stayed quiet and thoughtfully, letting her emotions calm and her eyes take on their reflective lenses over her emotions. "My name is Fira. Obviously, I am a member of the fire troupe and we did tell Madam Charlotte, whom you speak of, to forget her son." She finally admitted, staring the dragon slayer levelly in the eye without even a hint of remorse. "Was I happy about doing it? Of course not." The woman added with a bitter bite in her words, just daring the dragon slayer to react. Which, of course, he did.

"If you weren't happy about it, then why did you say it?" Natsu argued, leaning so far forwards he could feel the press of the string squeezing against his ribs.

"How else do you tell a mother her son is nothing more than a shell?" Fira snapped, vaulting so fast out of her chair that it went flying across the room. It collided into the other chairs with so much force it shattered into pieces, knocking over the other stack along with it. Silence fell around the room as the others stared at her enraged face. The unseeing glass in her eyes shattered, revealing her true and totally irate emotions in turmoil in her jewel-colour eyes. Bare fists coiled at her sides as her whole body shook with the urge to hit the dragon slayer so obviously visible on her face.

"Flare?" Mana soft voice reached out cautiously to the girl. But apparently, the woman wasn't done. Built up frustrations and rage began to pour out at the dragon slayer as her voice reached to the very peak of its volume.

"We do not tell mothers, or fathers, son, daughters, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers...lovers," Her voice softened only slightly for a moment with a tiny glint smothered under her eyes. It shifted almost a second later, taking a stern, intense edge that weighed heavily in the atmosphere. "...that they should forget the person they love. We tell them to move on because they are gone!" As the anger and frustration finally settled, her voice became softer and quieter. "Our fire troupe was created to stop ourselves from having to say that. We are here so that we can say 'we brought them home safe' instead!"

Natsu and everyone else fell quiet as his onyx eyes stared at the woman with guilt and empathy before he finally hung his head lower. A shameful emotion smothered his anger almost completely as he realised he had prejudged the group and their feelings without ever trying to understand.

"I know who you are, dragon slayer. And I can see _her_ in your eyes." She spoke again with a calm level voice that, rather than threw her anger upon him, instead tried to reach to his, but with the same level of cold detachment when she had admitted her actions earlier. "Maybe you should move on as well." Fira said no more and left, with Mana following in tow, leaving them to their heavy silence.

Daylight swept in and out as the night came rolling in as Natsu found himself drifting in and out of sleep. No one had said anything since their conversation with the second fire troupe member, but each still tried to break free of the ropes without magic to no avail.

It was several hours before Mana appeared again in the tent doorway, catching the dragon slayer's attention. Pink hair ruffled as he lifted his dark eyes to the small girl looking sympathetically at the tied up group. It seemed as though she was still indecisive about whether she was coming in or not, and by the unreserved expression on her face, Natsu could tell she probably only came on a whim. It felt slightly odd seeing the obnoxiously loud girl stood so quietly in the doorway. In the end, it was the dragon slayer who spoke first.

"Why did you capture us?" He grumbled, showing a slight sense of interest and curiosity through his still present guilty mask. It was only made thicker after he spent the past few hours reflecting on how horribly he had treated Mana as well. Seeing her scared face in the woods and the slight fear in her eyes when they ambushed him earlier, only made him feel shameful as a man; scaring such a young girl.

At first she seemed hesitant to speak, keeping a close eye on her surroundings, but once she certified that no one else was listening, she decided to answer. "We didn't want you going into the Earl's castle without Natsu-sama's permission." Mana answered, moving further in. Everyone else seemed to be asleep as the girl made her way into the room. From the shards of wood she managed to salvage a useable chair and set it a safe distance away. She sat on it sideways, making Natsu believe that rest of the fire troupe probably sat on their chairs in weird ways too. Maybe they just didn't understand the right way to sit on it.

"Natsu-sama?" Natsu questioned in surprise, feeling very odd saying his own name with an honorific.

"Yeah, she's got the same name as you. Weird, right?" She chuckled softly, keeping her voice quiet so she didn't wake any of the other sleeping members. "She's on a recon mission with a spy inside the Earl's close circle at the moment. We'll consult with her on what to do with you guys after she gets back." Mana explained, twirling one of her thin glass needles in her hand. Natsu hadn't seen her holding one before and there were none on display on her clothes, so it made him wonder where it suddenly appeared from. On the other hand, his mind was also curious about the fore mentioned _'Natsu-sama'_. It was rather surprising to find out that they were in fact a _'she'_ and that she had a spy and was on a recon mission made him suspect that whoever she was, was probably a very smart woman.

There was a long moment of silence as Natsu drowned in his thoughts before Mana spoke again. "The girl Fira saw in your eyes... who was she?" Pink hair jerked back again so sharply it made the girl flinch. In her small brown eyes he saw no malice or negative intent, just mild curiosity. A sigh faded from his lips and his intense focus relaxed again into the distance of the floor at his feet.

"She was my best friend." He smiled softly. Once Mana realised she was allowed to listen, her small body settled back comfortably into her chair, watching the dragon slayer with the same story searching eyes that were common to someone else he knew. However, Natsu didn't find himself looking at them; instead, he was looking into the past. "She was noisy, aggressive, greedy and vain, but...she had a great smile, was funny and kind. I met her several years ago when I got into a fight about Fairy Tail and we were together ever since." It was the first time he had spoken to anyone about Lucy ever since she disappeared. He hadn't meant to say so much but the words had just kept coming. "We were always fighting alongside each other, always having each other's back. I would always end up going to her apartment when we were on mission and she got mad whenever I would sleep in her bed. But, I kinda felt lonely when I wasn't there." A small nostalgic smile curved the flat line on his lips as a light hearted feeling made him calm and relaxed.

"What happened to her?" Mana asked softly, noticing the past tense and the fact she wasn't with them, that made her almost certain something had occurred. The small smile on his face disappeared, replacing it with dark sorrowful eyes. Pink eyebrows pulled closer on his face, causing a crease in the skin above his nose, making his expression look very pitiful.

"I couldn't protect her, and she ended up dying because of me...because I didn't protect her." Natsu whispered. "I left her to die there."

Mana watched him silently, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. There was moment where she noticed the change from 'couldn't' to 'didn't' but she decided it would be best not to ask. Instead, she quietly wiped the tears from her damp cheeks, sniffling back her pity for him.

"Mana!" Fira voice yelled from the outside of the tent, startling the young girl. "Natsu-sama's on her way back!" From the neutral tone of her call, it seemed that Fira didn't know exactly where she was, and by the girl's shock it was even more obvious Mana didn't want her to know. Mana quickly stood up from her chair, moving like light to place it quickly back with the others and flickered to the exit.

For a moment, she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the dragon slayer, before giving him a polite, sympathetic nod and disappearing with the gust of the wind. A short silence was left behind in her absence as Natsu's eyes moved from the door, puzzled by the girl's gesture, back to the ground at his feet. It seemed he had been looking down at it for such a long time but not quiet seeing it, which was when he noticed the small burn mark on his sandal; probably from when Fira had sent him flying through the woods by her giant fire ball. It made him wonder what kind of magic she had. It also reminded him of the fact he had wondered so much it could do him for a lifetime, especially when he wasn't a thoughtful kind of guy.

"Idiot fire-brain." Gray grumbled, slowly opening his eyes.

"So you were awake, ice queen." Natsu growled back with an unsurprised tone, as if it was wrong to ever suspect that he was asleep, or Erza for that matter. It was idiotic to think that the reequip mage had even slept for one second during their whole time as captives, but for the moment, she made it clear she wasn't going to enter their conversation.

"Of course I was." The ice mage retorted with a dull hiss and a hint of offence, lifting up his stiff neck and rolling it over his shoulders, trying to work out the knots. Dark eyes caught the edge of the flipping tent as he shrugged of his stretch and gave a little wriggle of his ropes; they didn't budge. Once he accepted his attempt at breaking free was futile, his dark eyes glowered at the dragon slayer for a moment before turning back to the tent door, as if it amused him. "You know it wasn't your fault Lucy got killed, right?" He spoke aloud like it was directed at no one and everyone at the same time. Yet ultimately, the dragon slayer knew it was meant for him.

"Sure." Natsu shrugged half-heartedly, letting his head roll onto the back of the chair and his eyes fall close. The soft rise and fall of his chest hinted that the slayer was trying to sleep but with the warning of _'Natsu-sama''s_ arrival, it was more likely he would stay awake. Gray moved his eyes onto the dragon slayer again, changing his phrasing.

"It's not your fault." He repeated, purposely changing his words from a question to a statement. "Lucy wouldn't blame you."

"Yeah..." Natsu whispered after a small while. "I know that."

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**Next Monday; Chapter 5; The Beginning  
_ At long last, Team Natsu finally meets the mysterious leader of the fire troupe, but it's not the only shocking secret uncovered..._**

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	5. The Beginning

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 5: The Beginning

Fresh daylight spilt through the break of the leaves in the canopy above as the wind whistled past her ears, rippling the hood of the jet black cloak. Horseshoes thundered against the forest floors when the black stallion raced through the dense encircling trees. A presence leapt through the tree tops behind her, having already pursued her for a longer than enough. It chased and chased her, without realising she already knew it was there.

Three...two...one...

Suddenly, the figure clad in black pounced through the air like a cat, reaching out for the horse with the same wild eyes. A foot cut through the air like a knife, colliding against the pursuer's defending forearms. A quick hiss slid from her lips but quickly turned into a smile as a bronze key whipped out of her pocket. "King Pin: Two tonne swing!" She called, twisting it in the air.

An enormous black ball on a sterling steel chain swung from the sky. It caught the figure by surprise and sent him flying straight through six large trees until his momentum finally ended. Fortunately for him, the ball didn't contain a lot of power or else it would have killed him.

Reins pulled back and the jet black stallion dropped into a walk. The ball and chain disintegrated into dust as she turned back and returned for the fallen attacker. She pulled up alongside the scar of battle among the fallen trees, finding the unconscious man in black laid below an old oak tree with a dent in the middle of it.

"Ivy climbs up the tree, weeds climb down the tree. Trees reach for light, ivy stays in the shadows. Both thrive together, not one without the other~" A familiarly irritating voice sang.

"Desmond." She growled, slowly turning her chin to the sky. An old weary man hung from the branches of the oak tree by his legs wagging a finger as he continued to hum the tune of his little rhyme. Wire brown hair stuck out against gravity from his aged face that not even a thousand years might change. The bottoms of his yellow-grey cloak hung round his shoulders, his legs folded over the branch his body hung from. "It's been a while since I last saw you." She grumbled in a tone that could very well imply that he wasn't a welcomed visitor. She easily heaved and threw the unconscious man across the back of the horse. After strapping him down, she slipped one foot into the stirrups, wrapping a hand around her reins and vaulting onto the stallion's back.

"Wind blows east, sun sets to the west, and leaves fall down." Desmond shrugged. Unimpressed eyes looked at him face to face as she thought that if she untangled his words, she might find that it was his way of saying 'I do as I do.'

"When will there be a day that you don't talk in riddles?" She questioned rhetorically, tightening the knot of her own cloak around her shoulders.

"When is a burning forest lit in unanimous joy?" Desmond retorted.

"Never then?" She sighed and squeezed in her heels. The stallion spurred into a quick canter to the west, leaving the empty space where Desmond once was, behind.

As the sounds of horseshoes beating through the camp territory hit her ears, Mana was by the side of the big black stallion in an instant. It slowed quickly into a stop besides the awaiting girl. "Natsu-sama!" Mana grinned welcomingly. The woman looked around their basic camp for any signs of change; other than the three tents: the captive's tent, the storage tent and the other sleeping tent, as well as the small fire place with a spit and pan over it, there wasn't much to see. Deep brown eyes caught the sight of the black figure strapped down to the saddle behind the cloaked rider. "Who's that?"

"I was followed by a member of the Earl's outer dispatch. It seems he left his pack behind and came after me alone; probably looking for some kind of brownie points." Natsu replied, sliding out of her saddle. "Why not take him into the spare tent and we'll see if he is more useful than the last ones were."

"About that..." Mana uttered, bearing a sheepish smile as she fell under Natsu's suspiciously sharp gaze.

"Natsu-sama!" Fira belted, marching furiously across the camp site to where their newly arrived leader had dismounted. It was obvious she was still mad from the night before. "They insulted you _and_ the fire troupe! They are cynical, vicious little things! Let me bury them where no one can find them?" Fira pleaded with a face so serious Mana wouldn't be surprised if she could name a suitable place off the top of the head; actually even three probably wouldn't be any trouble for her.

Natsu gave her an odd stare before turning back to the purple-haired girl to explain, seeing as though Fira had already over-exaggerated everything in her head.

"We caught a group of wizard intruders yesterday. They said they wanted to go to the Earl's castle so we brought them here." Mana reported, pulling loose the ties around the limp body. It slipped free and fell lifelessly against the floor without even a groan. Mana passed a suspicious gaze to the cloaked woman. "Are you sure you didn't kill this one?" She asked, turning back to the body and poking it with her foot.

"He's alive." Natsu replied, slipping off her leather riding gloves.

"They even tried attacking Mana!" Fira continued furiously, getting even more worked up after being dismissed. It was obvious on her face that she thought both Natsu and Mana were taking the situation too lightly.

"Wow, you're hot headed in both ways." Mana commented snidely, dragging the body by the big black boot, letting its face collect dirt.

"Shut up, shrimp." Fira hissed back, baring her tongue.

"What was that, Watermelons?" Mana snapped.

"Stop fighting; I just got back." Natsu sighed, dragging back her cloak hood. Long pink hair spilled down her back in gentle waves. Soft dark brown, almost black eyes glimmered in the sunlight against her lightly tanned skin. She was fairly tall; a little smaller than Flare, but taller than Mana. "Fira, take knight down to the river." She requested, placing her gloves and reins in the woman's hands as Mana shimmered out of view, the tent door flapping open up ahead.

"What about the captives?" Fira protested, looking almost panicked, her turmoil green eyes jumping from her hands to the woman's calm face.

"I'll deal with them now," She replied, already following in Mana's directions.

"Alone? But they're wizards?" Fira continued to call, acting protective as always. Fira was quick to the defence and never really like men, which were a few of the things she had learned about her over the past few years.

"I'm a wizard too. Besides, I already know who they are." Natsu sighed, pulling out a pair of fingerless black gloves with the fire troupe symbol imprinted on both of them. "I passed through the town on my way to the rendezvous point yesterday night, Tanaka told me everything." Black gloves went on in exchange for her damp black cloak after being caught by the trees, covered in the recent downfall of rain overnight. Finally Fira gave up and the sounds of her grumbling and the following sound of horseshoes disappeared into the trees.

When Mana reappeared from the tent, Natsu handed her the black cloak in exchange for a new one and a mission to fetch a returning troupe member from the east, leaving just her and the captives.

It was the dragon slayer who first heard the rustling of the tent door and perked up straight away. At first, his dark eyes were curiously all over the black figure, despite already having heard the voice outside and knew to expect her. His neck craned upwards to meet the shadow in the doorway.

A woman with a narrow build and average height cut through the rectangle of late morning light with a sweeping hand. Long salmon pink hair fell down over her pitch black cloak with eyes such a dark brown that they were almost black.

"I suppose you're 'Natsu-sama' then?" Erza spoke first, her eyes already alert and cautious.

"I must say, the resemblance in features of you two is striking." Gray added sarcastically with a tone that hinted a threat.

Wendy and Happy looked confused what to think, dabbling between calm and caution in front of the fire troupe's number one. Carla seemed it was best to be suspicious but anything else she was feeling was well hidden.

Surprisingly, Natsu didn't feel anxious at all. In fact, it was the opposite. There was something calming about the person and the regal way she held herself. Or maybe he was just caught-off guard after seeing the womanly embodiment of himself.

"You are the Fairy Tail wizards sent to find Madam Charlotte's missing son?" She asked slowly and calmly, pulling up a chair from the shattered pieces at the side. Dark brown eyes paused to look at the destroyed chair and moved on without even a bat of an eyelid. Her chair was placed equally in the centre of the circle tent and she sat on it straight forward with her legs over the front. It was the first confirmation Natsu had that not all the fire troupe members had weird sitting habits. Expression on her face was smoothed out into a neutral zone but her eyes seemed stiff and cold.

"Yeah but as you can see, we're not getting very far." Gray retorted, with a tone that seemed a little safer than before, leading Natsu to believe he wasn't the only one feeling slightly relaxed.

"You shouldn't go to the Earl's castle. It's dangerous for you dragon slayers the most." Natsu-sama suggested with a tone not threatening or discouraging in any way.

"We can't." Natsu finally spoke for the first time after staying on the sidelines like an observer for some time. "To go home without trying will stain Fairy Tail's name. I won't do that." Onyx eyes looked straight into hers without a hint of aggression but full of the stubborn determination of his that was filled them to the rim.

"I have been fighting the Earl for almost two and a half years now. I know him well and although I'm sure I can trust in your strength, it is still extremely dangerous. If at least one of you dragon slayers is caught, all my efforts would have been for nothing." Natsu-sama continued, finally making an effort to try and dissuade them.

"What will happen to that boy if we don't help him?" Natsu replied.

"Most likely he'll become a soulless shell." Natsu-sama replied hesitantly, her gaze unfaltering.

"Then I won't go home." Natsu countered sternly, putting all his stubbornness into the gaze that tried to pierce the woman's cold shell. "I won't leave him behind to die."

The pink-haired woman's gaze finally faltered, even if it was just a little bit, but at the same time, a sad sort of smile pulled at her lips. "I see." She said softly.

"Your ally said something about 'soulless shells' before." Erza intervened. "What exactly is the Earl doing to the people he kidnaps?" At first the reequip wizard wasn't sure if the other person was going to actually answer her question since they had just become her rivals of sort, but as her eyes fell onto the scarlet-haired woman she seemed to give her a fair gaze and eventually answered.

"The Earl is somewhat like a Frankenstein scientist." Natsu-sama began to explain.

"Who's Frankenstein?" Natsu interrupted, showing a similar lost face as the blue cat next to him.

"Frankenstein is a western novel about a scientist called Frankenstein who took random body parts from dead bodies, using them to assemble his own human from the pieces, which he then brought to life." Carla explained.

"That's creepy..." Happy grimaced.

"The Earl has created a machine that transfers souls to his creations. The soul is a vital part to life; it is the essence of any living organism. Without one, his creations are just mindless zombies." Natsu-sama continued. "Dragon slayer souls are particularly powerful since their magic is in fact, that of a dragon's. That means if the Earl gets a hold of a dragon slayer's soul, his creatures would become almost impossible to stop."

"That's not good." The feline commented again through a small, fearful voice that thought maybe going really was a bad idea.

"This is why you should go back. I can't stop him if something were to happen to you." Natsu-sama rose from her chair with her final attempt of persuasion before dusting off her cloak and turning.

"We're not leaving." Natsu yelled adamantly.

"In that case you're not going either." Natsu-sama's eyes turned back over her shoulder. There was the first hint of tone that the dragon slayer could sense; it was stubbornness and whatever it was about to lead her to do gave Natsu a bad feeling.

Just as she began to leave, Natsu slammed his feet into the ground with all his strength. Impact sent vibration of the force across the floor and up through the wooden legs of the chair. Cracks split across the wood and splintered to pieces with ease. Rope slipped loose down the slayer's body and he was finally free.

By the time he moved to chase after her, the woman was already racing towards the door. Feet launched the dragon slayer forward as fast as he could, reaching out with all his strength, inches from her back.

White sparks suddenly lurched from the air, sending the dragon slayer backwards with startling force. He went flying into the ice mage at full speed, crushing both him and his chair.

Natsu-sama stopped and looked back with a cold masked face at the slayer weakly staggering to his knees. "You'll remain here until we return. The fire troupe is launching its final attack on the Earl's castle tomorrow night." She informed, catching the dragon slayer's intense gaze of frustration. "We will find Madame Charlotte's son for you, so stay here. Even if you do try to leave, this conditioned barrier takes a lot of magical energy to break."

Sounds of several horseshoes riding into camp echoed in the background, catching the woman's ears. With one last glance at the stiff mages, she turned her back towards them and left.

"Oi!" Natsu yelled, clambering to his feet. "Wait!" But it was too late, she was gone.

Hours passed and the dark night fell onto the empty camp. Everyone was untied from their chairs by Gray, excluding the man in black that had arrived earlier. Electric silver sparks lit up the dim tent as Natsu went flying back through the air...again.

"Natsu," Gray called over to the dragon slayer persistently climbing to his feet. "Even if you do manage to break through, they were on horseback; you can't possibly catch up before they attack tomorrow."

"I don't care! I'm going!" Natsu snapped stubbornly, crouching into a running stance from the worn groove on the floor. Feet kicked up from the ground, sending the body leaping into a sprint and clashing head first with the barrier. Once again, silver sparks charged through his body and shot him back through the air that held the strong scent of a barbeque.

"It's no use, Gray. He won't listen." Erza shook her head, gesturing for the ice mage to join their circle on the floor. They had been sat on chairs for so long it didn't seem enticing to have a raised seat.

"We need a way out of this barrier before that idiot kills himself." Gray growled, dropping down into a space between the red-haired mage and white exceed.

"That woman called it a 'conditioned' barrier." Carla added speculatively. "Meaning there must be some kind of loophole to get through."

"You're right; or else woman-Natsu wouldn't have gotten through." Gray agreed.

"What about Mana and Fira?" Happy inputted, sitting calmingly on Wendy's lap having her fingers run through his blue fur.

"We can't be sure the barrier was up when they came and went." The air dragon slayer counter suggested.

"Well, if we assume it's been up ever since we came in," Erza began, paused and waited for the sound of electrocution to die down before carrying on. "Then it's got to be something they each had on them when they came and left."

Away from the buzzing fluctuation of ideas, Natsu was getting worse and worse with his frustration growing stronger by the second. "Those damn fire troupes!" Natsu ranted aloud, throwing his fists and arms like a failing child. "With their cocky smiles and selfish eyes, waving their stupid tattoos in everyone's faces!" Natsu knew he was going a bit off course but the red film over his eyes told him otherwise.

"Natsu, you genius!" Erza suddenly exclaimed, catching the worn and scorched slayer by surprise. Strong muscles all froze as the pink/black-haired boy turned towards her.

"Heh?" He grumbled.

"It's the tattoos!" Erza announced with a gleam in her eye, much to everyone's surprise and Natsu's confusion. "The tattoos are the condition." Erza grabbed his pink crisp head before he had a chance to escape and quickly closed the height gap he had built up over the three years as his cheek hit the steel armour with a painful ring.

"It hurts..." Natsu whimpered as she let go, slowly sliding into a limp pile on the ground.

"But Erza," Gray interrupted, feeling slightly bad for distinguishing her eureka moment. "We don't have tattoos."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be tattoos," Wendy interrupted. "It could be anything with the symbol on it."

"Luckily," Erza grinned so wide it was almost disturbing. "I got these from the market!" Several shirts appeared in her hands, all bearing the fire troupe logo that was obviously from one of the fan stalls. Everyone, even Wendy was unsure what to say. For such an amazing woman in battle, it seemed she was easily susceptible to sales persons.

One by one, they slipped on the shirts and proceeded to the barrier between them being inside and them being outside. "Right," Gray took in a deep breath. "Go on, Matchstick." Grey encouraged with a friendly slap on the back.

"You what, ice queen?" Natsu retorted, clashing heads with the short-haired ice mage. Erza took charge, simply moving forward a step, and pushed. Both male mages were sent stumbling towards the barrier before they could even react. All they had time to do was brace their bodies and grit their teeth for electrocution.

They hit the hard soil with a crash and went tumbling through the camp. The dragon slayer ended up crumpled on an empty fire pit with the black iron pot dropping onto the ice mage laid tangled on top of him.

"Oh, it worked." Happy commented amusingly, being the next to pass through with Wendy and Carla following after him. Erza was the last out after taking a moment to disappear back into the tent. A few moments later when she returned, she carried the knocked out man in black from inside the tent.

"Why'd you bring him?" Gray grumbled, picking himself up off the floor, carrying the pot. Dark eyes gave it a curious stare as to why he had picked it up before tossing it back over his shoulder. Rather than hearing the clatter of it hit the floor, it landed with a yelp of pain, hitting the dragon slayer rather comically in the head.

"I overheard them saying he's from the Earl's castle; if we use him, we can find out way into the castle without too much trouble." Erza explained soundly, looking down at the weak pink and black creature crawling on its hands and knees out of the fire pit. As Wendy went to pick up the iron clubbing weapon that turned out to be stew pot, Happy squealed from shock at seeing the ash monster crawl from the fire pit. Blue fur cowered behind the white haired cat in fear.

In the end the same trio went down to the river that Wendy sensed nearby from the taste of the moist air, to fetch a bucket of fresh water. Gray courageously ducked back into the tent and returned with the magic restraining rope. Once he passed it to Erza, she used it to tie up their very own captive with a secure knot.

When the air dragon slayer and the two exceeds returned, the sound of several heavy feet pounding on the ground behind them caught their ears. There were at least three horses behind them, saddled up and ready to go.

"Why would they leave the horses behind?" Gray exclaimed, staring at the horses ominously.

"There was a note left with it." Wendy responded, holding up a piece of paper. "It's from Mana. It says_' I knew you would escape, so I left these for you. Please help Natsu-sama bring down the Earl. We need all the help we can get_." Wendy recited, handing it to the ice mage. Afterwards, she handed a second bucket full of water from who knows where to the soot dragon slayer. Water washed over Natsu's black and white body, leaving him free from his salt and pepper tan.

"We were going to help anyway." Gray muttered, examining the note. The blue feline staggered over to the unconscious man with the heavy pot of water. A gauntlet relieved the cat of his struggle by collecting the water from him, and dowsing it over the man.

Life burst back into the man with cries and groans of pain as he withered on the floor, cautiously pulling his eyes open.

"Mornin' sunshine!" Natsu waved with a big damp grin. "We need your help."

Daylight came and went, leaving the night to set in quickly with rush of the horseshoes storming through the forest. Restless animals squawked, hooted and fled in the opposite direction as howling winds blundered through the skies, brewing a storm fit for war.

"We're almost there!" Erza yelled, turning a sharp right. "Just above this hill!" Horses sprinted to the side of incline and raced high up the sides, rolling onto the top in seconds.

"The attack should have started by now!" Gray yelled with the man in black constricted with rope, bundling behind him as Wendy, Happy and Carla drove up from behind.

"Natsu! Wake Up!" Happy cried as they darted towards Erza's ride. The limp green sack of a dragon slayer lay across the rump of the horse, bouncing along the back. A soft grumble managed to come from his lips as he lifted his head up slightly, signalling his present consciousness.

"There it is!" Erza cried as the horses finally rushed over the peak of the hill.

Orange fires lit the sky a burning red with explosions and cries of emotion resounding through the heavy air as war raged on beneath them. A black sharp building glowed with flames growing from the windows as it looked over the enormous garden where the battle field was set.

Mechanical beasts and men in black tore through no-man's land as a swarm of black-cloaked attackers countered just as strong with raging red tattoos shining fearsomely on their backs.

"The fire troupe..." Wendy uttered, dismounting from the horse along with the two cats and coming up besides the other mages staring pale faced at the shocking chaos. "There's so many..."

"It's like a battlefield." Gray muttered in shock, looking down the steep hill in horror.

"It's a war." Erza stated coldly, dragging the dragon slayer limply across to them. For a long while, their minds were left reeling, staring at the mass destruction and chaos below them.

"There's Natsu!" Wendy exclaimed. Short looks dropped to the pink-haired boy on the floor, and back up to her with an unimpressed gaze. "No, the other one!" Life hurled the dragon slayer up to his feet with sharpened onyx eyes leaping across to the furthest end of the battlefield.

"I can't see that far! What's going on?" Gray shouted over the roar of a bomb that lurched from the sea of people.

"She's made her way through all the robot-soldier's defences. She's heading for the castle." Wendy reported, as the rest of them tried their best to look at the far away edge of the battlefield, searching for one little person.

"She's going to take on the Earl alone! That idiot!" Natsu muttered a growl. "HAPPY!" He yelled sharply, sandals leaping into a sprint to the edge of the hill. They pushed off the ground, sending his body sailing freefall through the smoke caked sky.

"NATSU! WAIT!" Erza yelled.

"I need answers!" He called back just as the blue exceed latched onto his back. White wings cut through the blundering skies, swerving in and out of the flying collateral and towards their pink-haired target.

"Dammit Natsu!" Gray hissed, throwing his hands furiously in the air. "That fire nut just keeps trying to get himself killed!"

"I'll go after him!" Wendy declared, following Natsu's actions and running to the air. "Car-"

"Wait!" Erza shouted, causing the girl to come to such a quick stop, she almost tripped over her feet. At least she managed to stop one. Small slayer eyes turned towards the equip mage with confusion. Scarlet red hair whipped in the biting spring winds as the dark eyes glared in the fire light with profound determination. "You'll be more help with us. Come on!" She commanded, swinging up onto her saddle. Gray, Wendy and Carla followed without further instruction. "We're going down to join the battle!"

"Natsu!" Happy cried over the crashing sounds of war. They swerved through the air, avoiding stray and metal that shot up like a bullet. There were even a few who actually tried shooting them out of the sky on purpose, but luckily they gave up pretty quickly. "Where is she? I can't see through this smoke!"

Calmly, Natsu took a deep breath, closed his eyes and inhaled the deep breath of air he could. Discard the smoke, the fire, the burnt metal, the blood and charred flesh, and all that laid under was the smell he had made sure to memorize. "That way!" The dragon slayer barked, pointing his arm like a compass to the north.

"Aye sir!" Happy bellowed, jumping into hyper speed.

"Fira!" Mana yelled reappearing over the barricades with a black cloak so badly torn and burnt there was barely any of it left. However, the fire troupe logo was still intact which was the main important part. Friend or foe was hard to distinguish in the midst of a battle, so they wore their cloaks as a symbol to others about who they were. Bruises covered the rest of her pale skin with soot settling in her pale purple hair and dry blood around thin wounds were crusted and already healing. "The third groups taken down the left flank and is breaking through the defence line."

"What about the right?" Fira yelled back, rushing to treat and injured, moaning man.

"They're heavily wounded and moving back on defence." Mana reported.

"And Natsu-sama?" Fira hesitated, but pushed herself to finish bandaging the cut on the man's forearm as she awaited her answer.

"There's been no word since she broke through the defences." Mana sighed, and rushed to help the hot-haired girl with the patients.

"They're almost a thousand strong, soldiers and robots combine, meanwhile, we only have four hundred. Yet, she still choose to ride into battle alone!" Fira yelled in frustration, viciously pushing a stray strand of hair behind her hair a sharp breath of air.

"You not up to the job, commander?" The purple-haired girl taunted, picking up a pair of gauze.

"Don't get cocky, Muppet." Fira growled back but with a calmer, more determined smile. "I'm not Natsu-sama's right-hand woman for nothing!"

"What are your orders?" Mana stood straight, her arms folded by her side like a soldier.

"Send four's team to back up the fifth group at the right defence and relay to the third group to keep pushing through. Also deploy thirty of the soldier's stations here to collect and return the wounded back here. Meanwhile, I'll create a barrier; it won't stop them for long but it might just give us enough time to get the wounded back." Fira commanded, sweeping past the soldiers that had already been treated.

"Yes mam'!" Mana saluted, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Flame coloured hair sailed in the wind as the tall woman pulled out a large deck of cards from under the hidden pocket of her cloak.

"Cards of Arcana; hear thy call!" Fira chanted, pulling a card from the deck and sweeping it through the air. "Card of Judgment: Barrier!" She called, slicing the card into the earth.

Powerful magic exploded from the card, cocooning up in the sky like a dome building an impenetrable wall around the base camp. Fira looked up at it with an approving nod of her head, letting the deck slide back under her black cloak. "It's nowhere near as strong as Natsu-sama's conditioned barrier but it's close and should last long enough." She sighed, turning back to the mass of awaiting patients to treat. "Some extra force would be helpful though."

"That's where we come in!" A voice appeared behind her. Black boots whirled on the ground floor, shooting cards to her finger tip like knives ready to throw. "You!" she yelled in surprise.

Four Fairy Tail mages stood in front of her, ready for battle and the expression to show it. "How did you escape?" Fira squealed. They couldn't possibly have broken through the barrier; it would be too strong to break by using ordinary means.

"We found the condition." Gray shrugged. "It was also lucky of us to get here before this barrier went up."

"Let us help you; we can fight too!" Wendy pleaded, stepping forwards with big black eyes. Emerald green eyes flipped between each of them in shock, confusion and slight fear. But the sounds of battle reached through her dome and shut off her doubt. It was true; she really needed the help. For once, she would just have to put aside their differences.

"Fine!" Fira sighed. "This barrier will hold for ten more minutes. Get the soldiers that are injured back here and then go support the front lines!" She commanded as she hurried across the tent where a huge stack of crates lined up one wall. When she returned, she handed each of them a long length of black material; the fire troupe cloak. "You'll need these if you don't want to be killed by our men." Fira explained as they swept the fabric over their shoulders tying the rope into a knot around them.

"I'll stay here!" Wendy leapt forwards, tightening the knot around her own cloak which was a little shorter than Grey and Erza who were both only a few inches taller than her. "I have healing magic; I'll help the wounded while you guys bring back those people here. Carla, will you go with them?"

"Alright." Carla nodded, leaving the confident young girl in the fire-haired woman's more than capable hands. "I'll lead you from above!"

"Got it! We'll leave it to you Wendy!" Erza called, flying through the faintly visible barrier, rippling and distorting like a bubble as they passed through it.

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 6; The Planets  
_ War has begun and Team Natsu charge through the battlefield. However, Robots and henchmen might not be their only worries when new enemies appear..._**

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	6. The Planets

Destiny's Demise

Chapter 6: The Planets

_Natsu_

"Natsu!" Happy cried over the loud roar of the fighting dispersing beneath them. "She's going into the castle!"

"Take us down!" The dragon slayer commanded issuing their dive down over the battlefield. They landed on the quiet grounds of the enemy territory with the city's of battle still ringing through the air despite being several miles from the front lines.

"How long has it been seen we lost sight of her?" Natsu asked, racing across the wet wastelands towards the base of the burning building the moment his feet hit the ground.

"About eight minutes!" Happy replied, shooting through the air besides his head. Dark black soot littered the both of them, staining patches of their blue fur, pink hair and tanned skin, a charcoal black. A small brown door at the base of the castle came into view as the pair raced forwards. "There it is! That must have been the door she went through!"

Speed pushed their pace faster and the door loomed up on them in seconds. Once Natsu saw it coming, his speed didn't falter, instead it only increased as he braced his body.

Upon impact, the wood splintered and flew viciously off its hinges. It splintered against the concrete floor as its momentum sent it disappearing into the room.

Complete darkness wrapped around the pair instantly. Silence rushed down upon them like a cloak and only the touch of cold winds biting at his ankles could be felt. Despite his dragon slayer eyes, even Natsu couldn't see the doorway they had came crashing through.

"Happy, where are you?" Natsu called out, cautiously moving through the sea of black.

"Nat-" Happy's voice began before a shrill, smothered squeal cut it off.

"HAPPY!" Natsu yelled, flames bursting furiously from his fists. Even so, the darkness fended off his light, smothering it into a small orb around his body. The cocoon shell of light limited his sight to only inches from his body. "Happy! WHERE ARE YOU? " He yelled frantically, desperately throwing his arms through the air to fight away the invisibility.

"Natsu, Natsu, Natsu." A voice tutted quietly in the darkness. "Salamander, dragon slayer, Natsu Dragneel. My, my, what many aliases you have." It was cold and hoarse and sent every hair on the dragon slayer's body standing on end in alert. Whoever it was, felt very, very dangerous. "I've always like the colour blue; maybe your friend would make a nice cushion for my beloved daughter."

"You're right daddy!" A second, higher and definitively more childish voice spoke. Their voices resounded from every direction, making it appear that they were nowhere and everywhere around him at once.

"Who are you?" Natsu roared, letting his canines bare into a snarl. "What have you done with Happy?"

"We are Neptune, and we are Uranus." Their voices merged. "We are the most distant planets that surround our sun. Yet, we are cast furthest into the darkness."

"Give me my friend back!" The slayer viciously demanded, blowing the flames in his hand into even larger ball of fire. "WINGS OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" Flames coiled from his arms lurching through the air like a blazing whip, launching the slayer's body into the air. Arms cast forwards, slamming the flaming wings forwards. Rocks exploded and crumbles on contact sending tremors shaking the ground violently. Cracks split in the stone crumbling all the way up the buildings wall with a flash of light lighting up the room for a second. Dark, enraged eyes locked onto the two figures leaping aside as the wall fo the building's entire left side came crumbling down.

Moonlight in the stained skies beamed down, dispelling the darkness and illuminating Natsu's vision. The room was empty and fairy wide except for the wide iron door on the opposing far wall.

Happy was held in the clutches of two shadows; one tall and one small, stood either side of each other, letting the moonlight shine down over them. Their skin was a translucent white with bright blue veins bulging from their bone defined bodies. White rags with two planets on either one wrapped around their body, leaving their sharp, emotionless faces exposed. It was like masks smoothed over their faces, making all their features lose their definition, including the fact they had no noses. Their hair was almost completely gone except for the odd path here and there over their translucent skin that was tinted an odd pinkish-purple colour. Despite their uncoloured skin, they had beautifully striking blue eyes the colour of a sapphire. A foggy sheen fell like a veil over the same irises with their pupils the size of pins and the bloodshot white around them giving Natsu an early feeling. At that point, Natsu suddenly realised why they were like that; they were blind.

_Wendy_

Blue light glowed refreshingly over the healing wounds of the injured soldiers, sealing the open, life-threatening gashes embedded into their skin. In order to store enough energy to heal the critically wounded men, she made sure to reserve her energy while treating the minor-injuries traditionally without magic. Long blue hair was tied neatly back into a long ponytail. Bright, but tired eyes looked down on her suffering patients with calm sympathy. It was surprising to see that not one of them had a single wound on their back, leaving the symbol on their cloaks untarnished.

"The fire troupe members are not allowed to let the fire on their cloak be extinguished." Fira explained softly, as if she was reading the girl's mind. "It is a symbol of pride for them and it would be a disgrace to return with a broken flame."

"Isn't that silly?" Wendy asked, wiping her hand across her damp forehead to dry away the sweat. "Placing your life below that of a piece of cloth?"

"That emblem is a symbol of hope and strength for the fire troupe. They only get one cloak to protect with their lives, even to stain it with death is a sin. That way, when in battle, those people fight for each other, protecting everyone's back not as soldiers but as a whole body. As the fire troupe." Fira explained calmly, softly wrapping a splint around the arm of a minor-injured person.

"It's sort of like our guild." Wendy thought happily, taking in a deep tried breath. "What is it the fire troupe actually does?" She asked out of spontaneous curiosity. "Despite fighting the Earl."

"For hundreds of years the fire troupe was a small force of power to help fight for those who can't. Nowadays, there are over thirty different fire troupe groups all over the world fighting battles just like this one to obtain peace for others." Fira answered.

"That's amaz-" Wendy sighed in awe, but Mana's appearance cut her off shortly. Heavy breaths rasped in and out of the girl's lungs as she leant over her knees in exhaustion.

"What is it?" Fira demanded, launching from her seat and flying straight towards the girl.

"The Earl's planets have appeared." Mana wheezed, looking up at the girl with a very serious and concerned expression.

"What?" Fira exclaimed, suddenly turning a paler shade of white than she already was. "Damn, why now?" She growled in frustration, turning from the girl and throwing her fists in the air in anger.

"They've appeared on the left flank with two more on the right." Mana added, collapsing into the chair Wendy quickly provided for her. The young girl gave her a nod of thanks, raking a hand through her dirty purple hair.

"What are the _'Earl's planets'_?" Wendy asked, slowly sensing the dread turn her stomach into heavy stone. Sympathetic green eyes fell onto the girl tired as a pale hand pulled loose her fire red hair before trying to tie it up again.

"The Earl's planets are several creatures that serve the Earl; his greatest success so far." Fira explained snapping the hair tie around her hair into a long pony tail that rolled down between her shoulder blades.

"Successes? You mean like the robots?" Wendy responded but Fira only shook her head, making the girl assume it was much worse than she could imagine.

"No. Not like the robots. These creations are very much alive. Remember when I mentioned about Frankenstein?" Fira asked and Wendy nodded slowly, almost tempted to stop the woman from telling her. "They're living organisms stitched together and brought to life with human souls."

Wendy's eyes widened in horror and her mouth fell open in disbelief, disgust written all over her face. "Human souls...that's got to be impossible. I know you said it before, but it must be lies!" Small traces of hope vanished on Wendy's face, looking to the tall woman, in search of some kind of expression that told her she really was kidding, but finding nothing of the sort.

"I'm afraid not." Mana grumbled, slowly lifting herself up onto her aching legs shaking with exhaustion and taking a deep breath. "They're walking nightmares."

"But everyone's out there!" Wendy whined, looking out at the flashing glows of the battle field with intense concern and worry.

"Three hundred men left verses about 800 minions and the Earl's planets." Fira muttered angrily under her breath. "Everything just seems to be getting grimmer and grimmer!"

"It'll be okay!" Wendy yelled, catching the others off guard. They turned to her in surprise, seeing her big black eyes full of determination and her tight fists squeezed into her chest. "You have the strongest team in Fairy Tail; it'll be okay!"

_Gray_

Metal creatures propelled themselves forward, leaping at men from below or towering over them from above. Not only that but raging men armed with weapons also pushed against them. They had already broken through the defences with the enemy's army more concentrated to the right where Erza was.

"Ice make: Carpet!" Gray yelled slamming both palms into the torn up earth. A sheet of ice spread like a virus over the ground, covering the left side almost entirely. Other robots slipped and went spiralling out of control, knocking down allies and smashing themselves into pieces. Heavy, larger robots broke straight through the ice without been a wobble and ploughed through toward the troupe's advancing teams.

"Ice make: Tidal!" Gray yelled. Ice raised into the air several stories high, even towering over the Earl's castle. It rushed up and circled over the taller robots like a frozen tsunami barricade.

"Ice made: Stairs!" He continued, flattening his palms against the smooth ice of the tsunami sending a ripple of magic throughout the thing. Ice broke away as steps suddenly appeared against the back of the wave's surface, rising all the way to the peak.

At first the other fire troupe members looked at the ice wall and stairs cluelessly, until one leapt forwards screaming with determination and raced up them. The robots on the other side could barely scratch the wall and the men were completely useless. All the raging troupes surged over the top, ambushing the helpless group from above. Caught up in the overflowing sea of people flooding up the steps, the ice mage joined alongside them as her raced up the stairs.

Tremors suddenly shook the Earth like a scale ten earthquake as people went flying from the stairs back towards the ground. The quakes began to grow in size and strength like approaching footsteps until they were loud enough to burst Gray's ears.

However, it was the thunderous roar that brought blood out of his ears. Cracks tore up through the ice sculpture resisting against the sound vibration echoing through the air. Fortunately, the ice managed to hold against the horrendous howl. Men still tumbled from the face of the ice even after the air fell silent, ignoring the painful ring in the ice mage's ears.

For a moment, it went silent with no noise, not even a whisper came from the other side. Tension rose high the atmosphere as Gray and several other men clung to the ice stairs with stiff bodies, waiting for something.

Something came a moment later as the ice crumbled into dust from the beefy red fist the size of a giant's came crashing through the ice wave's face.

Black capes rippled through the air as men were sent flying back through the sky, falling into the crowds of fighting. Allies grouped together, catching as many as they could from above. Meanwhile, they still fought with dodging the house-sized ice chunks crashing down on top of friend and foe alike.

Gray was caught by a group of six troupe members who said nothing as they lowered him to the ground. Not even a 'thank you' could be breathed by the ice mage's own lips as his eyes befell the sight in front of him.

It was bigger than any beast he had ever seen before, bigger than any building for miles, and bigger than any mountain. It was a red muscled giant with a face meant to kill. Big tusks stuck out from the lower protruding jaw with a shrunken face and beady black eyes that stared down at the people with hunger. Large yellow horns stuck from the edges of its shrunken scalp and a long black ponytail fell over its wide bony back. Large trunk legs and monstrous feet walked through its friendly lines, crushing anything in his way without distinction as he closed in on the group.

"Aha!" He bellowed, looking down on them with a wide, drooling smile. "Jupiter will crush you!"

_Erza_

Screeches of mechanic skittering across the ground like spiders pierced the dull drone of falling explosives. Rallied battle cries of men rushing forwards against the tides of enemy as the cries of the injured ached in their hearts.

The last few men were being carried off for treatment at the medical camp as Erza stood fighting at the right flank with numbers slowly dropping. They were falling further back little by little as the robotic creatures and men pushed forwards.

Fighting off the last of her pursuers, Erza began to summon her magic. "Reequip: Coat of Kings!" She called as light began to glow from her body. Royal red armour plated her body with solid jewels embedded hard in the impenetrable metal. A gold-capped helmet wrapped around her skull with nose piece over her face. Silver spun together in her hands into a lance with swirling red, gold and silver. Finally, a red velvet cloak rest over her shoulders, lined with rare white swan feathers and the flaming fire troupe symbol.

"ROYAL DECREE!" Erza roared, launching high into the air with enemy lines appearing like an ocean below her. A red coated arm launched the lance through the air and into the ground in the epicentre of the front line sending waves rippling across the earth like a pool as men stared at it in surprise.

Suddenly, the mage in armour came thundering down onto it like a bullet. Earth exploded outwards into the raging sea of beasts. Robots and humans alike were burst back into the distance or crushed in an instant by the aftershock.

For a while the allied fire troupes stared in disbelief at the crater left behind in shock. It seemed to cross over their faces that they were wondering what kind of people Fairy Tail had. But their mindless wondering was cut off by a group of men surging forwards yelling triumphantly at the top of their lungs. Moral burst through the crowd, pushing forwards towards the defensive line and taking back their ground.

Just as they gallantly drove forwards, a piercing shrill cry pierced through their roar. Men in the front began dropping like flies sending people turning and sprinting back to safety with pure fear on their faces. Before they could reach it, their limbs were severed and turned to dust.

Two shadows appeared in the aftermath, cruising through the destruction like a walk in the park as fires and screams lit up around the like horrifying fireworks.

Light dawned on their face revealing a man and a woman were approach; yet, Erza couldn't define them as humans. Narrow eyes sharpened on them like knives, her lance unwiring into a gold handled blade embedded with jewels masterly cut to the point that they were even sharper than knives.

A half-serpent woman slithered across the human carcasses littered across no-man's land with ruby red scales rippling across her long, thick tail. Black heavy curls hung down around her dark face like thick little sausages. Heavy eyes shadowed with black make up expanded her reptilian green irises. Claws sharpened into a point on her long bony fingers, painted with a blood red varnish.

Beside her was an almost human-looking man. His form was human with tall broad shoulders and square shaped face. She might have believed he was except for the rings embedded into his skin like piercings clearly showing he wasn't. Creamy-gold skin was lit up by the blaze of flames, tinting his swirling orange eyes.

"And you are?" Erza growled threateningly, fitting her other palm around the handle of the blade.

"I'm Mars." The snake-tailed woman hissed with a thin fork-tongue squeezing through her thick rouge lips.

"I am Saturn." the other man replied very softly, with a cold lack of emotion on his face. "We will not let you pass any further."

_Natsu_

"We will not let you pass this point, right daddy?" The shorter one gave a sort of grin up to the other. Their lips were over curved edges of skin with no lining that fell into an open black hole on their face that echoed words. Their fogged blue eyes followed the dragon slayer's every movement like they could see him, although he knew they could, at least not with sight.

Blue fur swung through the air, hung by the tail clasped in the longer creature's fist. "It's a monster!" Happy wailed continuously, flailing his little arms and legs like a landed fish. "Natsu save me!"

"That's right, sweetheart." The taller one nodded with his heavier voice, patting the egg shaped head of the other with a webbed-fingered hand.

"Oh yeah?" The dragon slayer growled turning and pacing in the opposite directions making his footsteps as soft as cotton. Their eyes still continued to watch him with clear. "And how're you gonna do that?" He taunted.

Paws pushed against the slimy, white hand, tugging on the tail and trying to wriggle free."Let me go!" The blue feline growled, bearing his small white fangs.

"Come at us and we'll show you." The girl-ish one retorted, ignoring the loud cat. Invited to the challenge, the dragon slayer came to a stop. His body lowered into a crouch, his finer pressing his palms against the cold stone floor. "Let's see how quick you are then..."

Suddenly the dragon slayer was gone. All that was left was the crater tearing up the concrete as surging winds cut between the pair, blowing them aside. The male one growled as he looked to his empty hand and saw the absence of the blue cat.

"You think you can out run me?" The girl screeched deafeningly.

Pink hair pressed back against his scalp as wind cut past either side of him, moving his body at an incredible speed. Happy pressed closely against his chest sobbing frivolously. Did he loose them? Dust left in his trail settled, revealing a glimpse of the space where they were left standing. There was no one there.

"Wha-?" Natsu grunted, turning forwards at the sound of crumbling rock. Concrete from the ceiling above caved in above him like a wave, sending the slayer flying backwards. Moonlight was swallowed whole as the ceiling collapsed around them. A pounding ring tore through his ears like knives in his eardrums turning the hot blood in his veins thick and cold. Sickness crushed his organs on the inside as if he was trapped by a crushing force all around him, listening to the piercing screech.

"NATSU!" Happy wailed.

"Happy? Where are you?" Natsu snapped, vaulting his body upwards. The sickening feeling in his stomach tightened, sending the dragon slayer staggering forwards.

"NATSU!" The feline's voice cried again.

"HAPPY!" Natsu's voice wailed, fire bursting up from his fists. The flames smothered almost instant as the slayer's eyes leapt to them in surprise. "What the- Urg." The weight pressed harder as his arms clutched around his stomach. Natsu felt the warm of something running down his jaw line. Fingers pushed against his ear, feeling the thick warm liquid running over his skin. His ears were bleeding.

"Did you really think you were faster than us, dragon slayer?" The higher voice squeaked. "Right daddy Uranus?"

"Of course, my little Neptune. What a silly dragon slayer it is." Uranus scoffed.

"You see..." Neptune's voice whispered so lose it felt like her mouth was right beside him making him feel even sicker. Although, he couldn't sense anyone there. "We are the outcast planets on the furthest edge of the solar system. We are where it is cold, where it is quiet and where was can create as much sound as we like."

A sharper, shrill ring sliced into the dragon slayer's head like a swing of a blade to his temple. A roar of pain broke through the slayers clamped teeth, trying to find some output for all the agony inside of him. Weakness brought his body to his knees, his hands clutching to his brain with all his strength.

All that time they had been using sonic waves and hearing to see him made it finally obvious to the slayer what they were doing. They may have been blind but their hearing was certainly superhuman if they were even human at all.

But what could he do? They took Happy. They blocked his escape. He couldn't even move. All he could do was scream; his brain was slowly being scrambled inside.

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 7;  
_Battles against the planets heat up, and Team Natsu are holding their ground. However, there are no fights that go without casualties..._**

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	7. The Resilient

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 7: The Resilient

_Wendy_

"Carla, you're back!" Wendy cried in relief as she busily rushed to the next patient being lumbered in.

"So far, this is all the injured on the left-flank." Carla reported as the man to the side of her helped settle the injured man on a make shift bed; several blankets laid out on the floor with folded up jackets and cloaks as cushions.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Mana huffed, collapsing onto her favourite chair again. Dark circles were beginning to show under her eyes from exhaustion as she threw a bottle of water down her burning dry throat.

"What do you mean?" Carla pressed, folding her aching wings into her back, brushing off some of the soot settled on her fur. As she did it just seemed to smudge so she left it as it was.

"You probably didn't see them on your way back, but the planets have arrived." Mana grumbled, pushing her stained hair back from her face.

"What are the 'planets'?" Carla questioned, knitting her eyebrows together with a serious expression, sensing the dilemma in Mana's tone.

"They're the Earl's creations made by human parts and brought to life by human souls." Wendy explained, splintering a man's broken leg without any added tone to her voice other than informative.

"Here, follow me." Mana sighed, rising from her chair and setting the water down beside it. The purple haired girl turned and left out the open tent door with Carla wandered after her.

They slipped through the barrier which peeled over their bodies like a thick skin, rounding the corner of the cliff. They came into view of the right flank charging towards the Earl's castle.

Black cat eyes bulged open in shock with fear pounding through her veins. All the white hairs on her body instantly leapt on end in alert, seeing that Mana's tone wasn't misplaced. It was so horrifying; she could barely bring herself to speak. "W- What is that thing?"

"_That_ is Jupiter." Mana explained, looking at the gigantic red monster tearing through their army like they were small toy figures.

"But Gray's down there!" Carla gasped in realisation. Mana still looked over to them without a look of surprise but instead disgust composed with realism.

"I think most of the fire troupe would be dead if it wasn't for him," Mana stared out longingly at the fight. In her eyes, the wish to fight and to protect them was obvious, however, she knew she couldn't; she was the only one fast enough to deliver their commander's orders effectively. Carla looked at the girl with slight astonishment, realising that for such a young girl, she was so mature. "You guys are pretty awesome not to back down from that kind of monster." Mana chuckled weakly. "I just hope they're okay..."

A quiet moment of empty air settled as the stirring breeze carried their prayers across the roar of the battle field.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourselves?" A soft voice called behind them.

They both whipped around on their heels to see a figure standing in the darkness. It was tall and lean, moving with long slow strides. Light exploded from behind them, receding the shadows that fell over the silk maroon fur and pitch black skin. Fiery red eyes burned in the light of explosions. Velvet hugged the slender figure in a suit with a matching top hat on top of his feline face.

"Nice to meet you." He purred, bowing his hat under his chest with a twirl of his hand. "My name is Venus."

_Gray_

"What the hell is that thing?" Gray exclaimed, dark widened eyes staring up in disgust at the beast as it tore down another one of his ice sculptures. It bought enough time to allow a few men to retreat past the beast and into the enemy lines where they began to fight again.

"That is Jupiter." A man dressed in an untarnished black coat spoke, appearing next to him. Sharp blonde hair swept across his face, over his pale skin and emerald jewel eyes. Muscles portrayed even under the loose falling coat hanging from his broad shoulders and tall build. His face was calm, but within it was a determined anger. "You must be the Fairy Tail ice wizard Mana told me about. It's Gray right?"

"And you are?" Gray replied with the raise of a suspicious eyebrow. Muttering rose from the men around him, staring at the man stood next to him in wonder, awe and hope.

"I'm Valentine." The man smiled, reaching to his left shoulder. A coarse scarred hand brushed the corner of his cloak, baring his bare skin. A fire troupe tattoo covered his arm and inside it was the number four in black ink. The hand extended to Gray and he shook it with a firm grip.

"So," Gray turned towards the raging breast wreaking havoc through the war. What can we do about this guy?"

"Well, there's little we know on the Earl's planets, but I guess this guy's strong. Although, he doesn't look too smart." Valentine analysed, brushing a hand over sharp chin.

"I suppose you could say that." Gray agreed speculatively, catching his mind being reminded oddly of the fire dragon slayer in that moment. "We could try turning his weight against him."

"You mean like dropping him?" Valentine suggested in surprise, looking at the beast and its large mass in confusion.

"Well, let's see what he can do first." Gray grinned with a determined, bitter smile he so commonly used with his rival. He tugged off his shirt, dropping its shredded and burnt fabric to the ground, leaving just the black fire troupe cloak over his shoulders. "Follow me." Legs crouched to the ground and gathered energy, resting his fist in his palm. With a rippling bang the ice mage leapt into the sky with the strength of a beast propelling him through the air, showing just how much stronger he had gotten in the past few years.

"I suppose I have no choice." Valentine shrugged, casually walking passed the groups of soldiers looking mindlessly at the height of the ice mage in the sky.

"Ice make: Ice beast!" Gray roared slamming his fist into his palm. Magic bursting from his fists like a white beam of light. It leapt and dove through the air piercing into the ground, absorbed by the Earth. Silence befell the group of soldiers watching in awe.

Earthquakes ripple through the air with the ominous rumble of something approaching. Jupiter stopped, turning his miniscule head to stare at the ground beneath his feet.

A screech tore through the air as the ground split open and ice exploded up through the crack, twisting through the air. It rose up into the sky, heading straight towards the ice mage. The narrow figure began to expand and grow, slowly making its shape more and more obvious. Dark boots landed on top of the beast refined into its true shape.

"That's..." The group gasped, staring at the ice beast with pale faces. "The legendary beast..."

Valentine stared up in shock at the towering ice before him, completely taken back from what stood before him."Deliora..." he whispered.

_Erza_

Dissected limbs and decapitated heads rolled through the piles of human ash sprinkled across the grounds at her feet. "You kill people without hesitation. You can't be human!" Erza roared, her red blades flashing forwards.

Metal rang through the cold air with two blade hoops looped around Erza's swords. They held it in place with colliding strengths as Saturn's dark amber eyes stared impassively at the reequip mage's irate anger.

"I wonder what that tremor was just now?" Mars wondered, chewing idly on one of her blood red nails, looking around curiously.

"Mars, please stay on topic or else the master won't be pleased." Saturn advised, keeping his eyes on the face of the woman.

Erza spun the blade in her hands, breaking free of the hoops and launching back. Two large chips cut through the edges of her blade from his needle-sharp blades, dulling even a few of the stone gems embedded on her sword. 'What incredible strength,' Erza thought bitterly. Most of the men managed to escape on her order. Those who hadn't had either been cut into smaller pieces or reduced to dust. Either way, they were dead.

On the other side, men had mostly been wiped out and robots were destroyed from the woman's earlier indiscriminate attack. Those who survived left instantly as soon as they saw the two villains approaching. Their faces went white with fear and they went running to the right flank as fast as they could.

Erza had no idea what was going on in the right side of the battle, but Gray could handle it. In the last three years, he had grown incredible, that not even a giant could stand in his way. That's what Erza believed; Not just for Gray, but Wendy, the exceeds and Natsu had also grown so much stronger, not to mention the rest of the guild. That's why she let them down!

"I suppose I shouldn't have underestimated you." Erza sighed, lowering her sword to her side. It glowed with bright white light and dissipated into the other dimension.

"Underestimated us?" Saturn repeated curiously, looking down at the rings in his hands. 'She wasn't using her full power...' he thought, soft relaxed eyes looked at the rungs in his hands. With a little squeeze, they cracked and crumbled to dust between his fingers.

"Oh dear," Mars purred viciously. "Did she break one your precious rings?"

"It doesn't matter." Saturn replied calmly, ignoring her taunting gesture. "I have plenty more." A hand reached to his arm, grabbing another ring attacked to his skin. It dislodged from his wrist passing through the skin into his other hand and the same with his other hand. Two small loops span around his index finger in slow wide movements. By the time they fell back into his palms, they were five times bigger than before.

"I hate that impassive attitude of yours, Saturn." Mars hissed, finding a large chunk of robot shrapnel to sit on, coiling her big red tail beneath her. "It's so boring."

Erza stared at the disk man regarding her with a cool composed attitude that apparently must have been his natural space. "So those hoops are his power, huh?" Erza muttered quietly under breath. "I see."

Two hands rose to her side, dark eyes falling gently shut. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"Equip!" She cried, light bursting from her body as the red armour slowly peeled away. In its place, blue steel glittered with shapes spun around her body like a web. Black spades on a white ribbon lifted her hair into two curling pony tails either side of her head. Black diamonds painted over her eyes and white metal armour plated her legs with red hearts painted over her shoes. Blue clubs covered her jacket as light began to glow from her two hands into a narrow beam into the sky. One shone into the earth, the other into the figure burned sky. A boom of wind exploded, revealing the weapons in her silk gloved hands; two blades. In her left, a crimson blade pointed up to the sky with a red diamond hilt, on the other a ruby heart. In her right, pointing to the ground was a jet-black bladed sword with and onyx club hilt on one half and a dark spade on the other. "Blue Jester!"

_Natsu_

"Stupid, stupid dragon slayer!" Neptune screeched, pushing a foot with only faint contours of five stumps one would call toes.

"Careful, Neptune." Uranus warned soft, but with a pleased self-satisfied tone. "You don't want to damage it too much. The master wants its soul later."

Neptune leapt into a squeal, pale cheeks presumably glowing with a faint blush. "You're right father! Maybe Master will give us a promotion!"

"Well, let's not get too conceited." Uranus smiled in a way that the skin around his mouth wrinkled a little bit.

"Although, I really wanted to capture the head fire troupe lady; she would have been the ultimate catch." Neptune sighed in disappointment.

"Yes, the master has been after her for some time now. I would've liked to have seen her face again." Uranus remised, but Neptune just scowled.

"I don't care for her. I am far prettier. Ever since that day three years ago when she walked in here so high and mighty and announced that we were her targets, she's been a nuisance. I don't see why the Master is so interested."

"They're sort of like mortal enemies; the earl just wants to finish off what she started." Uranus added. "Anyway, collect the dragon slayer and come on."

"Okay, okay. I got it." Neptune growled, reaching down. To her surprise, she felt something hard and tough under her hands, sending a hot ripple of anger through her veins. It was far too hard to be his body; it was stone. "Daddy..." Neptune growled. "He's gone."

"What?" Uranus hissed, turning around. "Where is he?"

"This whole room is sealed off; there's not a single whole to squeeze out of so he can't be gone." Neptune purred, stalking around her terrain of sound like predator hunting for prey. "He's somewhere in here."

"Boy, you guys sure are slow." Natsu chuckled darkly. Their eyes snapped around the room as flames erupted from his hands scaring away the darkness.

"Where is he?" Neptune screeched. "I can't find him! Damn this echo!"

"I can hear his voice, but I can't locate his body."

"What?" Natsu yelled. "I can't hear you!" Flames in the dragon slayer's hands grew taller, illuminating the blue face of the feline. Elegant long, white wings batted slowly in the air, grazing all the way from the ceiling to brushing the dirt on the floor.

"These are stealth wings." Happy explained. "They're a form of wing magic that creates a sphere that lets sound out but not in. "So you can't use you sonic waves to scramble our brains anymore.

"And that means it's our turn to kick your butt!" Natsu roared.

"Like he can use his flames!" Uranus scoffed. "There isn't enough oxygen in here; they'll be smothered in no time."

"Huh?" Natsu yelled. "Whatcha say?"

"Natsu." Happy directed his focus to him and repeat what they said since he was able to hear outside of his magic. A thunderous arrogant laugh barked out the dragon slayer's sharp-toothed mouth.

"I won't let that happen! Ready Happy?" Natsu growled threatening, onyx eyes locking onto their targets with fearless anger.

"Aye sir!" Happy yelled, darting forwards.

"Dragon slayer art: Hatching Fire!" Natsu called. Flames erupted from his fist like great hawk wings of fire. Oxygen was sapped instantly out of the air, eating the flames into almost nothing.

"Now Happy!" Natsu roared, batting his small fiery feathers.

"Aye sir!" White wings shot outwards with a wing span ten times greater than before. They cut into the walls like a fine sword, slicing them in two. "Wing Magic: Katana Feathers!" Happy cried, and suddenly the glazing feathers turned to steel, bursting from their frames that sliced through stone like the very weapon they're named after.

"Quick!" Uranus bellowed. "Take them while their shield is down!"

"I WON'T LET YOU!" Natsu screamed, letting his almost dying flames burst into even greater red hot wings. They tightened around Natsu's fists, squeezing into a white hot ball of flames sending ripples rumbling through the ground. Even the dragon slayer struggled to keep a hold of the heavy thing as it went flying through the air.

Uranus and Neptune stood frozen with eyes widened in horror as if they could already see it coming. However, all they could do was hear the danger approaching, knowing their bodied could dodge in time, no matter how fast they were. They wanted to close their ears but something inside them, a little voice that wasn't theirs, smiled instead. They were surprised at the relief of seeing the great fire ball hurdling towards them. Then they realised, it was going to set them free. They wondered what the little smile inside was in their prolonged last moments, but it turned out it was something they already knew. It was their soul; the ones they'd stolen so long ago. Finally, they were returning them and it made them feel just a tiny bit glad.

Natsu's fist drove into the ground between them, as the fire ball crashed into the ground. Whistles of winds whipped around it from the intruding oxygen as it finally burst with white light in a rippling explosion.

Their charred bodies laid unconscious in the centre of the rubble collapsed around them as Natsu and Happy stared at them quietly, the dull drone of war behind them.

"Do you think they were lonely?" Happy asked.

"Whatever they were, I think they're best off as they are now." Natsu replied, letting a long tired sigh escape his lips as he looked up to the bright orange skies. The ceiling and all the floors above it had been turned to dust leaving a large clear view up to the sky above.

"Natsu...I think you went a little overboard." Happy commented, mildly impressed.

"I know!" Natsu exclaimed delightfully, looking over at his creation which would be better described as destruction. "That explosion was so much bigger than last time."

"That's because of the back draft effect." Happy explained, pulling out his chalk board to explain. "The sudden increase of consumable oxygen into an area with little oxygen caused your flames to get bigger at such a rapid rate that it spontaneously combusted."

"You sound like you ate a book." Natsu grumbled confusingly, looking back at his interesting canvas.

"And you sound like you didn't understand any of it." Happy retorted with a weak sigh.

"It went boom, right?" Natsu returned giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh well, we've gotta get going anyway. We've got to catch up with Natsu right? Not me, the other one I mean." Natsu mumbled, looking momentarily confused with himself and his name-referring dilemma. "Never mind. Come on, Happs!" He yelled, leaping through the rubble.

Wings sprouted from the blue cats back, clutching the back of Natsu's vest with his paws. "If this Master Earl-whatever guy's got an interest in her, I doubt he'll run away when he hears her coming. Let's go!"

"Aye sir!" Happy replied swerving up into the air.

_Wendy_

More wounded came rushing in along with those retreating from the right flank. A battalion commander reported Erza's orders and situation. At first, Fira seemed mad with the man, but after the explanation, her face paled before nodding and dispatching the healthy and fit to fight elsewhere. Mana and Carla disappeared with Mana to look over the left flank which left Wendy and Fira along with a few returning medic soldiers to attend to the wounded.

As Wendy was bandaging the arm of an unconscious man, she noticed the silver ring on her finger. "That's a pretty ring." Wendy commented, trying to start small tall and satisfy her curiosity at the same time. In the beginning, she was a little frightened by Fira after she yelled at them in the tent as captives. However, Wendy was beginning to see that she was quite a bit like Natsu; a bit hot headed and protective, but had a kind heart. The only difference was that Fira was really smart and calm in serious situations. It was easy to understand why Fira was made the commander.

Fira looked up and smiled softly, tucking the fire colour hair back behind her ear. "It's my wedding ring."

"Wedding ring?" Wendy exclaimed in surprise. Fira was pretty and looked like she would make a good wife, but she also seemed far too young to be married.

"His name is Valentine." Fira explained, sterilising a pot of medicine while Wendy wrapped up bandages strewn about a medical crater. "I actually met when I met Natsu-sama." Fira sighed nostalgically.

"How did it happen?" Wendy asked curiously, not trying to be too eager to know.

"Three years ago my sister was kidnapped by the Earl. He took her soul and several days after her return she was reduced to chair at home, but I already knew she was gone. We were so close; my sister was the only family I truly had. Mother died during my birth, and my brothers and father were abusive men. It was my sister who raised me. Then all of a sudden she was gone. I felt alone, angry, grief with nowhere to put it until I decided to avenge her death." Fira spoke with cool, calm tone that said deep down those feelings were still a part of her,

"Avenge her?" Wendy question cautiously, careful to speak as not to accidentally tread on her feelings.

"I was foolish back then, but today it is still my wish to put to rest my anger." Fira carried on. "When I finally arrived at the estate there was a woman walking out of the path. As soon as her eyes met mine, I saw that she knew what I was thinking in an instant. So many people had tried to stop me and failed but it only took on moment for Natsu-sama. With the same eyes as mind, all she asked was 'Are you sure?' I remember being frozen in my place watching her eyes. I was ready to avenge my sister, I was ready to fright the Earl, but something stopped me. There was a second meaning to her words. If not, I could have answered without hesitation. Even today, I'm not sure what she really asked, but at the time, I mostly definitely felt it. At that time, she offered me her hand which I took and joined the fire troupe.

"So that's how you met Natsu-sama?" Wendy sighed, delightfully enthralled by the tale. "What about Valentine?"

"I met him shortly after. He was kind but I hated him from the second I met him. At that point my hatred for me was deeply engraved into me. However, no matter how horrible or spiteful I was, Valentine always treated me gently. The womanhood I threw away for vengeance just kept coming back to me through him. Even so, I felt I could never care for him.

Then one day I returned to my home village after realising I hadn't been there in almost a year. Everyone had just assumed I had been killed by the earl and was dead. The truth in village name was that we only protected the village in name; it wasn't actually us in person. A team of troupe members protected the place under Natsu-sama's orders.

The only reason I returned home was for my sister. I wanted to bring her back to our main base where the fire troupe continental headquarters would look after her.

When I arrive home, my brothers were the first to find me and they weren't happy to do so either. They grabbed me and took all my cards. If I tried, I probably could have fought back, but my inherent childhood weakness made me that same little girl back then. They dragged me back to my father who kept me locked in the basement and beat me for three days.

Finally I thought I was going to die, unable to avenge my sister. I thought of Natsu-sama, the fire troupe who had supported me all that way. I even pitied Valentine who had wasted his time.

Then I remembered something Valentine said to me once. 'You are strong Flare, I believe in you.' It was stupid and he probably said it to cheer me up after losing my first fight at training.

I'm still into sure why, but after hearing those words, I suddenly got really angry and determined not to be stopped by something so petty. I ended up fighting with my father and lost, but I kept fighting every time he called me a pathetic child and that it was my fault my mother died.

At that moment, I remember the door flying open with Valentine behind it in his full glory. He was pretty badly beaten but his eyes were alight with so much anger that he instantly set his eyes on my father. There was something oddly romantic about him as he started yelling, beating my father to a pulp. "The only good thing you've ever done" I remember him shouting. "Is sire the beautiful, fascinating and strong woman I love" Then he took me and my sister away from my father forever."

"My entire cold shell of hatred broke and made me fall in love with him. He fought my family and I don't think I could still be fighting besides him today if he didn't."

"Thin pale lips pulled apart happily as a gentle sigh escaped her lips and she seemed to unwind, even if it was just a bit."

"That's beautiful." Wendy sighed, wiping away the stray tears rolling down her little pink blush on her cheeks."

"Yep. We also got spontaneously married on the spot right before he left for the battle field. It's not official or anything but I don't mind. I kind of just like it between us." Fira's smile widened, caressing the silver ring with a diamond neatly embedded into it."

"My, my. Your secret hasn't lasted very long then it seems." A silk voice tutted. Alert shot through the two girls as they turned on the incredibly tall man stood in the doorway with a top hat and suit; not one of their fire troupes. Most shockingly of all, were the two limp figures in his arms. Purple hair fell over the face of the thin girl in his right, and the white eyes of the ashen cat were close in his left; Mana and Carla.

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**Next Monday; Chapter 8: The Choice  
****_ While Valentine and Gray fight in a battle of the monsters, and Erza's fight finds its conclusion, Fira has make a difficult sacrifice..._**

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	8. The Choice

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 8: The Choice

_Gray_

Eyes stared up in surprise all across the battlefield, their hearts stunned in awe. The broad ice demon Deliora rose out of the crowd for all to see. On top of its right shoulder, stood the ice mage that had summoned it into form, his black fire troupe cloak fluttering.

"That's some powerful magic you've got there." Valentine commented, landing gracefully besides the ice mage. High altitude currents rustled the flaxen gold hair out of the man's pretty blue eyes. Both of their black fire troupe cloaks ripple behind them as they stared down at the enemy.

"I thought we'd need something big to hit that beast." Gray shrugged. "Deliora may be bigger in size, but its nowhere near the same weight, though."

"Well, we've definitely caught Jupiter's attention." Valentine sighed tiredly, looking on at the little tomato-shaped head turning up at them.

"What's that?" The monster slurred, reaching a large thick hand forwards curiously. A rock-solid ice first pounded into the monster's empty head with shock force, sending the monster staggering backwards with a roar of pain and surprise. Allied forces were crushed into the earth beneath it s ten tonne feet stumbling over the field of battle. Black beady eyes widened with the sound of cracking bone. One large fang snapped, and fell through the air into the soil, much to Jupiter's obvious dismay.

As the beast recovered, furious beady eyes burned with irate anger towards the living ice. "HOW DARE YOU HURT JUPITER!" It roared, unaware that it was the ice mage who had controlled it. "JUPITER WILL CRUSH YOU!"

The two mages on the ice shoulder looked down at the enraged beast with calm satisfied smiles. "We managed to get him angry, all right." Valentine cooed looking at the broken tusk sticking out of the ground like a marker between them. "That calls for a trip to the dentist. Although, looking at the hideous shade of yellow his teeth are, I can tell they're not friends."

"I suppose that means we're not his only enemy." Gray chuckled menacingly. "He's going to need a whole lot more than a dentist when I'm done with him!"

"I think I can trust you when you say that." Valentine spoke cautiously, dropping onto the ice with his feet tucked under him. Two hands clasped together, pressing his pairing index fingers together and closing his ocean blue eyes shut.

"What are you doing?" Gray muttered curiously, resting a supporting hand against the side of Deliora's sculpted menacing face. A gold eyebrow lifted into a arc with a smug smile pulling on his lips.

"I'm preparing for my very own hero moment. However, I don't think I have any more time to explain as yours is still on going." The blonde man advised nonchalantly.

Just as Gray went to ask more about his ambiguous words, as Valentine had said, he had no time to hear about it. Two red hands came flying forwards into Deliora's chest, sending tremors through the ground. It jerked the ice beast back, almost sending the ice wizard flying backwards.

"Ice make: Brace!" Gray yelled, slamming a fist into his palm. Forks of ice leapt out from the beast's frozen shoulder, wrapping around the ice wizard's body. It provided the perfect structure to stabilize him against Deliora so he wouldn't fall off.

A second later, Gray remembered Valentine and whipped towards him. To his surprise, the man was still sat in the exact same place he'd left him in. He had a crazy amount of balance to survive that shaking.

Anonymous shouts from the crowd reminded the ice mage that he had no time to be admiring the man. It seemed that the beast hadn't only hit the ice beast to know it back, but also held the frozen glass armour over its chest. With a terrifying roar, blood vessels bulged out his forearms and he used all his force to lift to sculpture into the air.

"You think I'll let you!" Gray growled, leaping into stance against the ice brace. "Ice make: Lance!" S[inning solid water leapt from Deliora's thick frozen hands like piercing lances. They drove through the air and landed like knives into the beast's arms. A shrill cry broke out as Jupiter went reeling backwards. The heavy ice make monster dropped heavily back against the earth, with a crater splintering out almost instantly around his feet, sending a rippling quake across the field.

Jupiter's anger increased, tearing out the ice spears coated in thick green blood. The magic dispersed just before the tossed away ice landed on a group of fire troupe men trying their hardest to push back the mechanical weapons racing around their monster verse monster duel.

"Damn, that's some tough skin; my lances only just broke through!" Gray huffed, beginning to feel the little bit of exhaustion creeping up on him. After an entire day of travelling and the continuous fight in the darkness, it was understandable. Although he could tell it hadn't been too long since they had entered the attack on the Earl, despite the fact it felt like it had been days. Even the dark cloak of nightfall still contrasted the burning fires of destruction just as strongly as when they had arrived. "Well, there's nothing like good old magic." Gray sighed, realising it had been a while since he had used that last spell. A hand readjusted the black cloak around his neck, letting his voice drift into the empty wind, seeming as though Valentine wasn't speaking to him anymore. At least ,he was planning to uphold his half of the plan, whatever it was. In fairness, Gray had left his suggestion pretty vague. But in the end, it seemed they were both following the same track of mind, leaving the ice mage to uphold his own half; to get Jupiter down!

_Erza_

Clashing metal echoed through the half-dead air as the two opponents leapt back. Heavy long breathes rasped out of both their mouths. Their bodies matched strength left them on par as far as the battle went.

"Boy, this is getting pretty boring." Mars groaned from the sidelines, picking chips of bone and flesh from under the razor sharp scales of her tail. "Just finish her already; I hate weak people."

"Be quiet, Mars." Saturn advised sternly, turning his deep amber eyes over his shoulder, letting the ring in his hand crumble to dust.

"Is someone getting mad?" Marc cooed excitedly, immediately interested at the hooped man's face. Saturn, with his cool and composed personality, his the bitter frustration under his dark mask.

"Four of a kind!" Erza roared, darting across the dust covered floor. Two blades sliced into four through the air followed by her body propelling her forwards. Four blinding ray of light, two black, two red, thundered across the ground straight towards her empty-handed opponent. At the last second, the man just barely escaped.

A sharp hiss bit down on his lip, his expressionless mask beginning to crumble. It quickly soothed over the crack and calmed the burning orange of his stunning eyes.

More spinning blades tore free of his skin into his hands, increasing their size with spinning loops. Legs shot the man up into the air above the equip mage as she withdrew her swords. Two discs sliced through the heavy air with ease, whistling straight for her. Luckily, Erza managed to dodge with ease, or so she thought.

Just as she escaped out of their way, the blades changed direction. They curved against the Earth, drawing up a massive cloud of human dust. Lips pressed tightly together , holding her breath, avoiding sucking in any of her fallen comrade's remains.

Sharp slicing blades cut across her armour with a terrifying ring. They appeared from every direction and disappeared in another just as quick. The equip mage's suit's swords managed to deflect most but not all of the attacks. One smashed into her shoulder with enough force to knock her flat on her back, tempting the remaining air in her lungs to burst out. Twisting as her momentum carried her across the ground, she managed to lunge back up onto her feet.

"How long can you last without breath?" Saturn's voice echoed in her ears. Feet shifted to her back, swinging the two swords through the dust thick air. However, as her attack landed, nothing occupied her targeted space. Blades slammed into her back with enough force to send her flying forwards.

A startled choke of air leapt from her compressed lungs, her chest crashing against the hard earth. A silk gloved hand quickly pressed over her mouth, fighting the urge to take a breath.

"Your lungs must be burning by now. Why do you make your body suffer in order to not breathe in a little dust." It continued, launching Erza to her feet once more. That time she heard one coming and managed to dodge as disk grazing her left arm. Unfortunately, the second one was a surprise, and it was an inevitable hit, crashing into her shoulder for a second time. Blood sprayed across her armour, finally penetrating her resisting steel. White gloves were stained crimson, pressing against her wound. The other strained against her lips, digging her nails into her cheeks. Despite the [ain, she managed to get to her feet again.

"You even get injured and refuse to breathe. Why? Because they were your allies? For respect to the dead? Those feelings are foolish, all are. They make you weak. Saturn spoke calmly, taking in a regular breath of dust and air. Particulates settled lifelessly on his skin with barely any weight at all. "Yet stupid humans scatter their so-called precious feelings on a little piece of dust."

"Straight flush!" A voice bellowed. Explosive winds blew outwards like a tornado, dispersing the ash cloud into nothing. Saturn braced himself against the wind, folding his sharp blade in front of him to redirect the current.

Scarlet hair wiped in the dying breeze with crimson red tips coated in blood. Two swords fitted in both ruby white gloves; one a steely grey, the other coated in deep red. Dark black eyes stared across the distance with enrage flames. Paled lips pulled back into a snarl, her fists tightening around the shaking handles of her black and red swords. "IT's not ridiculous!" Erza growled, catching the planet's attention.

"Saturn's deep auburn eyes stared cold and emotionless at the mage, showing his complete lack of understanding.

"How dare you say it's ridiculous!" Erza snapped in anger. Feet burst from the ground with such a speed a crater laid in its wake. A scarlet blur blew through the air like a rocket. Weapons rang with a piercing chime as they collided. Erza's two swords immediately swung back and crashed and crashed against at the murdered, glaring through a filter of red. "Those people gave their lives to protect those people who can't fight for themselves! Don't you dare disrespect them!"

Saturn regarded her rage nonchalantly, remaining unaffected by her words. "Those kinds of feelings are useless." He continued, battling against the four suit swords, pushing her anger further.

"Feelings aren't useless!" The reequip mage argued, landing a heavier stronger blow to her blades. A crack leapt through the thin steel ring. "Feelings give us strength. Feelings allow us to love to care and grief for our friends. Those kinds of feelings, no matter how painful they can become, are to be treasured. We fight to protect those feelings because that's what gives us strength! That's what makes us human!" The crack split and grew as Erza's blades continuously came crashing down onto it with more and more strength. "ROYAL FLUSH!" Erza bellowed with all her might.

Suddenly bright light exploded through the sky like a blinding beacon. They lit up as giant red and black walls of rippling light, and were swallowed into self into a giant white ball, splitting the air with shattering force.

Burning amber eyes could only look up in shock as the fearsome condensed magic came crashing down on top of him. "human, huh?" He muttered, as the cold dark world descended upon him. Light consumed his vision, sending him to the pits of silence with no feeling of his body at all. In his final moment, he was only aware of a feeling turning his soul to ice. At that point, he finally understood; it was fear.

_Natsu_

Constant tremors rattled violently through the stone floor. Sandals clashed against the unstable building floor. Pink hair pressed back away from the dragon slayer's face as he and his partner raced furiously through the dim corridors. Explosion and burst of fiery destruction splashed light against the dull lit walls, crumbling with the quaking earth.

"It's getting a lot noisier outside." Happy exclaimed with concerning, driving through the air at the pink-haired boy's side.

"Seems like it." Natsu huffed, making the choice not to be too worried. A rough hand quickly rubbed across his face, casting aside the wet slick of sweat.

"What about girl-Natsu?" Happy asked over a loud booming cry crashing through the castle like a sonic wave. Raging shaking in the ground tossed the slayer's feet from underneath him, sending him flying forwards. A heavy chin smashed against the stone floor, followed by his body as it slid to a stop again a side wall. Hanging lanterns fell and clattered by his side, smashing the glass on the inside.

White wings sailed the blue cat quickly towards him. "You okay, Natsu?" Happy asked, offering a small helpful paw up. Three years may have passed and the feline couldn't say he'd grown much, but his strength was still enough to help the grown slayer to his feet.

"Yeah,; I'm fine." Natsu grumbled, leaving over with a hand on his knee. The other swept the ground, snatching the two fallen lanterns into his grasp. Flames from their holders were suck through the air and into the dragon slayer's mouth, filling a small pit of empty magic in his stomach; a bit of his reserve had fell after his last fight, but it was barely enough to stop him.

"I wonder what that was..." Happy whimpered, looking back down the corridor with piles of debris scattered across it. A large part of the ceiling had broken through the floor and the three below it; which was surprising considering they were only on the second level. It could only mean that there was something a lot further beneath them. _Trust an evil earl to be hiding a creepy basement beneath his house,_ Happy thought with dread.

"We've got no time to be wondering about that." Natsu growled hastily, approaching the man-sized crevice in the ground. A stronger second wave of Natsu-sama's scent washed over his senses. When his face had landed against the ground when he fell, he had smelt it then and the hole had just confirmed his suspicions."She's down there." Natsu reported, looking down into the endlessly darkening hole.

"Who? Natsu-sama?" Happy exclaimed, trailing his eyes back to the ominous, spine-chilling, frightening hole. Only a small amount of his voice could manage to come out of his mouth. "She's down_...there_?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, stretching his arms and legs.

"Natsu, I don't we should- NATSU!" Happy yelped, seeing the space the dragon slayer occupied empty. Big black eyes leapt back to the hole just to see the faint traces of salmon pink hair be swallow by the darkness.

A loud whine poured out the cat's mouth before finally plucking up the little could he could find. A moment later, and the cat was swallowed in black himself.

_Wendy_

"Carla! Mana!" Wendy exclaimed, elapsing forwards. A hand instantly struck out in front of her, stopping the teenage dragon slayer still. Small blue eyes turned up to see Fira's composed green eyes alight with fury.

"You're a planet." Fira hissed, sliding the other hand through her cloak.

"Indeed I am. The name is Venus and it's my pleasure to meet you two; Fire troupe's number two, Air dragon slayer." the man bowed. "I would take off my hat, but as you can see my hands are full." He shrugged, finally turning his face to meet their gaze. Explosive white light from outside littered across his black fur face as faint ripple quaked in the Earth. Wendy let out a startled gasp at his appearance. He was a cat or more specifically, a black jaguar's head with red glowing eyes burning against the darkness of his fur.

"I pictured Earth's sister planet a bit different." Fira remarked, her hand still hidden beneath her cloak.

"I, on the other hand, pictured you perfectly. Although, the dragon slayer is indeed a little smaller than anticipated." Venus replied casually, letting his piercing feline eyes move across both girl with a calculative expression. Despite his calm nature, Wendy struggled desperately to see if the man meant no harm or was extremely worrying.

It seemed like Fira didn't want to take any chances. Black cloak fabric whipped back though the air as the woman snapped out her quick hand. "Cards of Arcana: Her Thy call!" She shouted. "Hermit: White space!" Magic light soared up from the card like veins, wrapping out around Fira, Wendy, Carla, Mana and Venus before illuminating their world into an ashen glow.

A second later, Wendy found herself struggling to brink away the temporary blind light, until she notice Fira standing next to her. Venus, still carrying Wendy and Carla stood opposite with the white light still shrouding around them.

He looked calm and observing of his surrounding with an unconcerned manner.

"Where are we?" Wendy asked confusingly.

"It's a parallel space." Fira explained with her voice towards the girl but her eyes cautiously unmoving from the black cat.

"Drawing me away from your patients; nice move nurse." Venus nodded approvingly, analysing the white space they occupied. "I suppose the only way the exit is to defeat you since you won't be giving yourself up quietly I presume."

"Like hell." Fira hissed, slicing her deck of cards in her hands so quick it was almost impossible to follow.

"Funny. You seem to have the same mouth as this one." Venus shrugged tossing Mana and Carla's limp bodies aside like dead weight to his left.

"Mana!" Fira shouted, taking a hesitant step forwards.

"Carla!" Wendy cried.

A white gloved paw reached up to Venus' collar, pulling loose his bow tie and making a loop around his back and shoulder, folding his arm behind him.

"What are you doing?" Fira hissed.

"Well," Venus shrugged. "I was told to bring you back alive."

"You're saying that if you used two hands you could kill us by accident!" Wendy exclaimed in fear, catching the very serious gaze on the large cat's face.

"Maybe," Venus shrugged. "It's happened before. Although, my arm restrained is just to remind me not to." Venus explained calmly, biting onto the silk glove on his right free hand.

"So you can kill us both with just the one hand?" Fira implied.

"Sure," Venus replied, pulling off the glove to reveal a big black paw of a hand beneath it.

"I see." Fira growled. "Wendy stand back; I'll take this guy on alone." Green eyes snapped onto her before Wendy could protest. At first, she thought Fira was just being brave until the message became clear. Fira set a hand firmly on the dragon slayer's shoulder and Wendy nodded.

Slowly, she took several steps back, flickering her eyes between the pair in concern.

"How brave; fighting alone. Or is it just stupidity?" Venus mused, his cat eyes falling on Fira's ivory face. They began to glow with the hunger and blood-lust of a beast,

"Think what you like." Fira growled, sliding cards into the slots of her fingers. "You won't be doing much after I'm finished with you, stupid cat."

"How rude, but I'll digress." Venus flashed his sharp white fangs, rippling his fur with the flex of his paw. "Although, I'm beginning to think it's the latter."

"I suppose you'll have to find out." Fira taunted, closing her palm and reopening it so only one card remained between her fingers.

"Maybe so," Venus agreed with a slightly disappointed shrug of his lips.

"Arcana Card; Here thy call!" Fira called, pressed the cat in her fingers between her two palms. "Ace of swords: Jaden daggers!" The card began to glow as it suddenly grew to the length of her forearms and changed shape. As the light faded, two long silver daggers fitted comfortable in her palms with black leather handles. Long chains rattled in the air as they hung from the ends of the hilt, linking to the black shackles binding to her thin, pale wrists.

Venus arched a black eyebrow in puzzlement with showing any concern or alert of any kind. As far as he was concerned, Fira wasn't a threat. But no one was going to tell her that. Broad shoulders struck her hand forwards, throwing the blades soaring through the air. Chains drove after it as it headed straight for his black smug face.

Whistling blades closed in on his jet-black fur as he moved a slight inch, leaving the blade to breeze straight past him. However, just a second before the blades were about to miss, a crack slicing down the middle. One blade split into two, sending the second one straight at the unsuspecting blade jaguar.

Red eyes lit with light like burning red rubies as they latched onto the blade millimetres from her face. Venus quickly leapt out of the way, dodging the blade at the last second. But Fira wasn't done. Again and again, the blade split in two, leaping closer and closer to his face. Forced into assault, Venus bounded forwards into a graceful leap just before the blades managed to split again. A thin red bead of red tickled down his black hair as the blade nicked his cheek. Black velvet clothes shredded as the cat landed on all fours against the ground in one fluent motion.

"Cards of Arcana: Here thy call!" Fira yelled, retracting her silver blades as Venus elegantly closed in on the girl. "Hermit: Reverse!" Light exploded from behind like a gallant white tunnel of winds as he pounced through the air. Just as he noticed, he saw the image of the dragon slayer along with the unconscious girl and cat fade as the light consumed them.

They were gone and Venus' black paw latched onto the woman's thin throat. A choke of shock escaped her lips, instantly throwing her hands his thick black arm as he held her suspended in the air. His grip held her just loose enough for her to breathe, but tight enough to severely hurt her.

"Human necks are fragile things, Miss- I mean, Mrs Two." Venus growled, his lips receding enough to see his white sparkling fangs. "Right now, I could break your neck in a second. So, I strongly suggest tell me how to escape this room before that girl gets too far."

Green eyes turned sharply onto the cats fast with a green glare, and her gasping lips twisted into a smile. "Don't think I'll ever tell the likes of you...pussy cat. Your charms won't make me give you my cat nip." Fira taunted through her heavy gasps of air.

Venus folded his lips back over his fangs, his bright ruby eyes turning back into a dull red. "I don't think you're in the position to make jokes. I'll kill you as I see fit if you won't be of any help."

"Even if you kill me...you can't get out of here." Fira grinned. From the beginning she knew no matter how hard she fought, it would have been impossible to beat him. She couldn't win, but this was her best shot. There was no way she was handing over the dragon slayers Natsu-sama worked so hard to protect.

"I see." Venus uttered, taking in a deep breath, and clutching his hand closed with a snap.

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 9; The Unforeseen  
_ The Truth? Good or Bad? Team Natsu tries to find their own answer to that question as they are suddenly exposed to shocking truths..._**

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	9. The Unforseen

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 9: The Unforeseen  


_Gray_

Ice shattered and dissolved in the big red hands clamping against the spear in its shoulder. It was bigger than before, but barely managed to break through the muscled shoulder. Dark eyes narrowed with frustration at the beast, rubbing a hand over the short spikes of his head. Once again, he gave an irritated hiss, dusting his hands on his dark trouser leg. "Dammit! Why won't this thing go down?"

"Stop hurting Jupiter!" It roared with an ever enraging anger, throwing a fist forward. A huge ice claw locked over the fist in an instant, attempting to block its path but failing. The force of the ice hand was barely able to slow it down; all it could manage to do was adjust its angle.

Huge red knuckle were thrust against the ice muscle plate with great force. Deliora's solid ice shoulder was reduced to shards in seconds. The rest of the detached arm fell to the ground like a meteor, turning to back to magic dust only a few meters above the fire troupe army's heads. Ice feet staggered back at the force, reeling from its imbalance. Gray clutched to the brace against the shuddering aftershock, letting an angry hiss squeeze through his clamped jaws.

Even before the shock was over, another fist came faster and stronger. But unlike the last one, there was no time to do anything about it.

An enormous fist plundered straight through Deliora's chest of ice, sending a burst of cracks skating along its translucent surface. Chunks of ice began to crumble from its body down towards the ground. Luckily for those beneath, the magic disintegrated and reversed before it could manage to injure anybody.

Jupiter tore his fist out of Deliora's torso, jerking the beast forwards. Ice feet stumbled across the ground, quickly closing the small gap over enemy lines.

A quick damage assessment allowed Gray to take notice of the widening cracks. Rebuilding Deliora's body would take a lot of magic power that he had no time or energy to do. Instead, he'd just have to rely on a hunch.

Pushing Deliora's decrepit body forwards, it swallowed the height gap instantly.

Two large horns clashed against another ice pair with a rippling crash. Threatening roar's bellowed out of Jupiter's mouth, pushing back against the towering ice figure pounding the weight onto the smaller beast.

"Ice make!" Gray bellowed slamming his flat palms against the ice floor. A shock wave of magic burst into the ground, shooting through Deliora's body. A whine quake in the earth rippled through the quiet tension in the crowd around them "COMET!"

Suddenly the earth began to quake viciously, shaking everything from the men to the entire castle. Concrete slabs of building came tumbling down with the outburst and cries of surprised washing through the armies.

And then there was silence. A few short seconds and everything fell quiet. People held their breaths, not daring to whisper a word from the invisible tension. Then it ended.

Blinding blue light exploded from the ground. Burning ice condensed into a ball sent instant blizzard winds with its whistling cry. It shot straight through the hole in Deliora's chest in a millisecond.

The second shock wave of impact broke the air with tremendous force. A shrill rippling roar tore through the sky like a piercing knife. Burning blue ice buried deep in the monster's red chest. Snowflake branches of frost began to spread from the hole like a poisonous virus. Small black eyes looked up at the man on the frozen giant in shock. Red turned pink and green as it paled under the splatter of its own blood. Its final fang crack and split, falling silently into the earth.

Jupiter staggered backwards, reaching his shaking red hands up to his freezing wound with eyes trailing behind. "Y- You hurt Jupiter." It uttered, gently clawing at the spreading ice. "You c- can't hurt Jupiter." It's voice lowered into a growl, squeezing through the freezing chattering of its teeth. "YOU CAN'T HURT JUPITER!" It screeched. Rage enclosed his beady eyes and snarling yellow teeth. Desperate strength rose from inside, ignoring the painful rapture of ice clutching to his skin. Red hands drove into his chest without hesitation. Green blood spurted out in clumps, landing like barrels of jade slime against the red blood grounds.

"What's he-?" Gray exclaimed. Dark eyes focused on the beast with sickening fear, still tearing itself desperately apart. "He's trying to pull the comet out!"

His attention was quickly redirection to the sound of splitting ice. Shattering ice leapt up and under his feet as the thin walls of Deliora's chest gave way. The gigantic hole created by the comet caved like a wallowing mouth, dropping Deliora into free fall.

Gray's stomach lifted into the ice mage's chest just before the torso crashed. It dropped onto it's lower legs that buckled and continue the drop down. Ice shattered and the entire ice beast of Deliora came crumbling down in pieces.

"Ice brace: Release!" Gray called, letting the only thing holding him to the monster dissolve into the air.

Finally, an old familiar voice appeared next to him. "I suppose it's my turn to be the hero." Valentine shrugged softly, releasing a pleasant sigh. Even as Deliora collapsed under his feet, he managed to stay perfectly balanced. Meanwhile, Gray was desperately clinging to the long ice shard's of the beast's face, trying to determine how to and safely with his magic reserves depleted.

"Miko magic:" Valentine called, purposely slipping off Deliora's falling shoulder. Blonde hair flew up with his long black cape fluttering behind his ears as the man went plundering down. "Golden thread!" Dazzling glowing golden light shot through the air like shooting stars. They strung from Valentine's fast moving hands, creating hand symbols so fast it was barely visible. "Cat, Wolf, Bear, Dog, Wolf!" he chanted, bending the astral lights through the darkness. They dove and weaved through the air and around Jupiter's body. The beast only paused for a moment to see the shooting light, but paid them no heed and continued to dig through his flesh and blood.

"Binging seal!" Valentine bellowed. At first the light had seemed to only be swirling around the beast, but as he called, it was apparent that it wasn't all they were doing. Their tracks lit up like chains of fireflies immediately contracting around the monsters large chest. A terrifying surprised roar came out of its sharp-fanged mouth. It was immediately cut short as its momentum carried it backwards.

Concrete crushed into dust as all its weight came crashing down over the castle. Tall spears were brought down like flowers, solid walls like paper and steel foundations like cardboard. Jupiter had finally fallen.

Hard, solid earth met the ice mage's back, as a result from his rough landing. Ice magic turned into sprinkling dust settling over the battle of the robots and men had been defeated while he was fighting, leaving the rest to disperse in fear.

An aching pulsating burn spread from his probably sprained spine and winded lungs. The ice mage laid crippled in pain after misjudging the distances and eventually leaping from too high up. A pale hand appeared in the air above him, extending itself out in help. Despite the searing pain, the ice mage took it and was pulled up onto his tired feet,

Dark eyes met blue ones as Valentine gave Gray a happily smug smile. It was a surprise to the ice mage to see Valentine safely on the ground without barely a scratch. Then again, after seeing his earlier perfect-balance talent, it made his curiosity to ask damped, fearing what the answer may be. Instead, he settled for something easier.

"What kind of magic was that?" He grumbled, reluctantly stretching his back. Tight, sharp pangs of pain confirmed his strained back theory.

"Sealing magic." Valentine grinned, raking a hand back through his golden hair with a seductive glance. "Aren't I the most beautiful shrine maiden you've ever seen?" Black eyes flattened on the man that's face seemed to be supernaturally sparkling against the dark background sky.

"Shrine maiden?" Gray uttered quietly. It seemed as through the man was ignoring him, distracted by the mirror he'd pulled out from nowhere, becoming enthralled by his image. "Aren't you just a priest?"

"Thinking about it," Valentine continued on his own, finally looking away from the mirror. It tucked underneath the black fire troupe cloak, where it probably vanished back to the dimension he seemed to take it from. "You're pretty handsome too." He commented, zooming up close to the ice mage's face.

Gray yelped in surprise, feeling the familiar uncomfortable sensation of being under a man's watchful gaze. A blue tint washed over his face and his pupils shrunk to the size of a pin head. "Y- You're not-" He stuttered in fear.

A curious golden eyebrow arched in confusion for a brief moment before he understood what the ice mage was getting at. When he did, he quickly backed up, raising two empty hands in sympathetic surrender.

"Oh no, I'm not!" Valentine protested, waving his hands with a heartfelt laughter. Nevertheless, Gray's eyes were still suspiciously sharp on his unbelieving face. "Look!" The golden haired man continued, turning over his right hand.

On his third finger, he wore a silver band as a symbol for his marriage. "Oh, you're married." Gray exclaimed in surprise, pounding a hand against his palm, signing his understanding. Relief swept over the shrine-maiden's face, running a hand over his forehead to wipe away his worked sweat.

"What about you? Married? Girl friend?" Valentine asked curiously, sliding in besides the ice mage with a probing elbow.

"Well..." Gray shrugged, turning his smothered embarrassed gaze away. A big gossiping grin lit up on the blonde's face.

"What she like? The jealous type?" Valentine asked, which Gray replied with a mumbling cough. "My you're lucky. Fira isn't the jealous type at all! She just ignores me if I'm caught flirt-" Valentine rambled, leaving Gray stuck behind on one very specific name.

"Your wife...is Fira?" Gray asked very slowly in order to comprehend.

"Hm?" Valentine paused in his girl-in-love monologue. "Yes." He answered slowly in the same slow clear tone the ice mage used. "Fira's my wife." And the button finally clicked for Gray.

"What?" He exclaimed in pure surprise. The loud memory of the woman, the hot-headed and violent woman shouted orders came to mind. "You're married to her? She's married?"

"Isn't she just adorable!" Valentine giggled, turning a bright pink in the cheeks. Onyx eyes stared wide open in pure astonishment. A man like him...with a strong headed woman like Fira? It was almost unreal, certainly unbelievable and a little bit scary. Perfect balance and landing skills certainly wasn't what made that man impressive; not in Gray's opinion.

"Masochist." Gray uttered, staring flat eyed at the man with a slightly disappointed stare.

"Eh!" Valentine whined in offence.

"Valentine! Gray!" A high-pitched, feminine voice split through their conversation as a cloud of dust appeared in sight.

"Mana!" Valentine called happily, the purple haired girl coming into view. His smile dropped when her expression became seen. Mana was a very strong girl and no matter what situation she was put in, she would never show fear; only a determined gaze. What he saw in that moment, wasn't a determined faze, and not even fear; it was terror.

"Mana!" Valentine exclaimed in dread, racing towards her. Normally ,she was there in a split second, but her pace had significantly slowed. Nevertheless, she managed to close the distance in a few moments with Gray following on the blonde man's heels.

"Mana, What is it?" Valentine demanded, catching the girl by the shoulders. Hot heavy breathes raced in and out of her shaking chest. Purple hair plastered to the black soot of her pale skin with a glaze of sweat. Legs buckled beneath her, caving under her weak body. Strong arms quickly caught her. "Mana!" Valentine yelped in surprise.

"It- It's Fira..." Mana wheezed desperately. "She used hermit to save Wendy, Carla and me. But...she hasn't come back!"

"Fira's strong; there's no need to worry." Valentine replied reassuringly but Gray could see the new turmoil swirling under his azure eyes.

"But the spell was broken!" Tears began to pour down the girl's cheeks, twisting in Valentine's loose grip. Handful's of his shirt squeezed in her fist, turning to face him. Mana, Gray noticed, looked more like a little girl than she had ever done before. "The card's been torn in half!"

Suddenly, Valentine's supporting hands fell to his side. Blue irises dilated into black swallowing holes against the wide white of his shock eyes. Pale sin turned a chalk white as his mouth fell open.

"What do you mean?" Gray intervened, catching Mana's brown puffy eyes.

"Hermit is a special space created by the caster's mind. If it's broken..." Mana explained but stopped at the small cold voice of the blonde haired man.

"She's...dead?"" Valentine whispered softly, turning his blue eyes to the little girl. "Fira's...dead?"

_Erza_

Light exploded in to the sky, snatching away the darkness in exchange for a brilliant white. Although there were many who weren't around to see; except for the attacker with scarlet-red hair, only the partner watched her ally's defeat. On her face, her expression didn't seem to betray her and her nonchalant stare, as she watched the ball of light smother the loser into defeat.

Once the rippling explosion of light finally subsides, their end of the battle field fell silent. Dusty dry air floated across the humid waste land, rippling the distorting images with leftover head waves, lining the charred black soil.

"My, my." The other one said. "That lasted longer than I thought." Shiny red scales compressed and stretched, heaving her tall, heavy-chested body form the stone she previously perched on. Cracks split along the stone and it crumbled to dust, without the woman giving a single glance over her shoulder.

"You expected me to defeat him?" The red-haired woman panted. Two heavy blades that before looked as light as sticks, fell heavily into the crisp earth. Clouds of dust leapt and swirled in the air before running off into the low autumnal breeze. Even with the heavy tired breathes heaving in and out of the armed woman's chapped lips, the atmosphere was still silent. No noise of distant battle, no nothing. It would naturally have been surprising to such an experienced fight that even the previous bitter breeze fell still. However, the wizard felt not time could be spared to be surprise. All she could think to do was be on guard as every instinct told the armored mage her new opponent was strong; two, maybe three times stronger than her previous disk-wielding enemy. A quick council with her magic reserves left her faintly concern at the inevitable oncoming battle. Although it was most likely that, even if she was running empty, she still wouldn't surrender. The fast moving glint in the woman's eye told her that surrendering would be her head on a platter. Either prospect was looking grim.

"I must thank you." She said. A stray coil of black circles were brushed way from her face with long red nailed, filed into sharp claws. "That man was a pretty little thing, I must admit, but his never changing expression bored me to no end." Erza crouched silently either side of her blades, catching her breath. "At least now I can have some fun." The red tooth-pick tongue sizzled through her lust red lips like a hungry growl. At first the scarlet wizard had thought the woman was patient, but the woman was still half-snake; it was no surprise to the equip mage when she came launching towards her.

Armour plated shoes with metal turning jester toes, leapt swiftly back from the earth. Two red claws came slashing through the after image she'd abandoned behind. Dust lurched up from the earth, coiling around her hand like a slithering airborne reptile. "Do you know what my sand does?" Mars asked politely. Green eyes stayed fixed on the ghostly snake sliding over her skin.

Metal feet landed again silently on the ground in the dead air, stirring another small dust cloud. Although she was manageable safe distance away, the woman's calm soft voice reached her. Despite it doing so, Erza once again chose to remain unresponsive. Mars simply took the silence as an answer.

"It enters your body through your skin, eyes, mouth; anywhere it can." Mars chimed with glee, showing dramatic annotation of her hands crawling through the air like a creeping parasite. "When inside," She continued slowly and carefully. "It attaches to every cell in your body. And those cells contain little drops of water." She demonstrated with an open palm. "My dust from the planet wasteland take that little bit of water and," She paused. "sucks you dry!" Fingers quickly coiled into a tight fist, turning a sadistic smile into a large arc on her face.

Erza stayed quiet, watching the green eyes staring wondrously at her enclosed hand. They flickered past the fist to her face in the blink of an eye. The smile only seemed to grow. "So I will su-"

Before she could finished, the distinct whistling slice in the air, cut through her speech with a blazing wind. But Erza soon realised that it wasn't the reason she stopped talking, nor the only thing it had cut through. It became obviously apparent when her head slid from her body.

Black spiralling hair cut short at her jaw spilled over the ground when the decapitated face rolled to a stop. Green knife thin eyes turned to the mage, or so it seemed; in fact, her expression seemed to be frozen in time, endlessly glaring at the wizard with a wicked smile.

A moment later, the fist which had been raised in front of her face slipped free at the wrist. Unlike the head, it flopped open like a dead fish and was unable to roll away. It couldn't move as the body dropped into the dust sprayed ground on top of it as the lifeless body it was. No blood was spilled since each cut was not only precisely clean, but singed as well. The hot blades that cut it had also cotted the blood in the arteries, letting not even a single drop escape. Only dust clouds gracefully skirting over the ground showed any evidence that anything had moved. Silence drowned upon the world again.

It wasn't only Mars' face frozen, but also the face of the witness. Black still eyes shrunk into small pink-sized dots enclosed by vast oceans of white. They were held in a never ending stared of shock and disbelief. Colour drained from her previously pink flushed face. The glisten of sweat on her skin turned stale and her body went cold. Muscles were locked in a seemingly eternal stone prison, unable to move a millimetre. Breaths became extinct and only the faint sound of her slowing heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Footsteps began to echo behind her, but Erza did not turn. Flickering amber light shivered in the corners of her vision, but she did not turn. Not even when the hot, heavy breath became clear, did she turn.

Only did she turn, at the setting dust cloud over the dark black boots. They could only move a little as each slow moment came and passed. Eyes moved like heavy rocks into her sockets, away from her dead gaze and over the dusted earth.

Eventually, when dark eyes were tainted gold by light, did she finally see the cause. Dark grey tattoos swirled like sand on rippling water over his skin. Stronger, more compact muscles clutched against the taller, broader figure. Dark brown hair fell against his face in soft silk curls. The lips glided up and down in the brewing flame's breeze. Wide, flat disks burned with dazzling amber light like hot metal pulled straight from the furnace. It burnt against his black charred hand pressing tightly around the blade. Lips pressed against his grey swirling skin, still a soft gold, into a harsh flat line.

The weapon mage could barely notice all those things. Instead, she was feeling herself fall into a cold dark world. Only the burning blood red glow of eyes appeared. They were not welcoming lights, but rather haunting ones. The attempting escape to flee reality was only turning into her own eternal cage. Those burning eyes were not like before; cool, calm, controlled.

No; they were wide, wild and indiscriminate; the eyes of a killer.

But over the years, many people she'd met had held such eyes, meaning that wasn't her fear.

What paralysed her in her place, wasn't the eyes or the body or mind. It was the power. An indescribably painful awareness crushed her like a tiny fly. The conciousness of the power that was so massive, made Erza feel weak and at mercy in his hands. All she could find was the will to hope and prey that she wouldn't be killed. There was no courage in the world that could help her; after all, she was a fly caught in the web of a cannibalistic spider.

As that spider raised its murderous fang, dark eyes couldn't even find momentary sanctuary in looking away. Flaming rings came down with a flash of light, enclosing Erza's vision in a black sheet.

"That was close." A soft calm voice grumbled. Gasps of spraying air caught under the dust, echoing the sound of the flaming blade slicing with ease into the ground. Stiff, dry eyes realized the darkness hadn't taken her yet, scaling up the shimmering back. Fur rippled over the twitching muscles, and ears flickered at the crack of her voice.

"Cat?" Erza croaked, hearing quiet threads of her voice whispered out her chapped lips.

In a blink f an eye, which the stiffened scarlet mage couldn't seem to manage, the cat had moved. It completely avoided the body of the dead Mars, laying down the unconscious and still body of Saturn besides three others. One had fire red hair caked in a thick layer of human ashes on the ground. Another with similar tarnishes to deep blue hair that seemed duller than the last time she'd seen it. And lastly, was a a quiet grey ball of fur. All laid completely still and silent, not even rustling the dusty air. "Fira?" Erza whispered. "Wendy? Carla?"

"I must really thank you." The cat grumbled, turning slowly around. A single black top hat was picked from the ground, placing it over the large feline's rounded ears. Dark stiff eyes followed it to his face, numb feelings of curiosity breaking through. A pitiful but grateful smile pulled his lips into a smile, slightly revealing the white fangs folded underneath. "Saturn, you see, has had a bad habit of unconsciously holding back his true power. There had never been a real stimulus to wake him up before you. You've save me a great deal of trouble. The same goes fro the little dragon slayer; Once I undid miss two's spell, I had no idea where she went. After witnessing your light display, I came here on a hunch. Luckily, I was able to find her on the way. And you." The cat sighed tiredly, picking at his white clean claws.

"Wen-" Erza rose quickly, letting her unconscious instinct of energy drive her forwards. Despite it, weak legs caved underneath her, dropping against the earth. Determination still desperately ill her muscles to get up. Although it was only slight, they responded.

"You can barely even move now, right?" The cat sighed, dragging a long paw over his hand. Nevertheless, Erza managed to reach up and grasp a hand of the black sword. All her strength gathered in her arms and heaved. Painstakingly slow movements passed, watching the scarlet mage drag her body to her knees.

Eventually, when she finally got there, the chance to protect her friends was instantly stolen from her. Black fur paws crashed into her ribs with outstanding force. A breath of air spat up from her lungs, sending a ripple of weakness through her body. Steel armor magic dissipated along with her sword, letting her body collapse weakly against the cat's body. Ribbons slipped loose her hair, unraveling her curls into long red strands, spilling over her back. "I think I'll have you sleep for a while too." It purred, snatching the last seconds of consciousness from the red-haired wizard.

Warm light burst through the hollowing darkness. Flickers of candles appeared and disappeared with a flash of pink and blue. Long white wings folded backwards with its streamline bones around the soft narrow feathers. Caution followed carefully behind, unsure as to when the ground ma suddenly be upon them. From the occasional slowing beat of the wings grazing on the damp stone walls, it was possible to tell that their width apart was hardly much. However, knowing the width didn't disclose any information on its height.

It had been a few minutes since they had plunged into the dark abyss. Throughout it, they had both remained silent, making little to no voice except the odd rustle of clothes or whistle of the wind or the beat of wings. Before taking the dive, no matter wherever they were, reverberating booms and crashes and roars conquered the air. Below the surface, there wasn't even a whisper. Only when the passing candle's flames flickered before their passing gusts, could they notice that the earth was trembling.

Eventually, the endless pit they fell down turned out to have a bottom. As soon as the dragon slayer's instincts took notice, did a voice finally shout out. "Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, triggering folded wings to burst open. They caught the fast passing air like a parachute, instantly dragging the cat and the boy in his palms to slow. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to stop their momentum completely.

Crashing against the harsh stone ground was still a rough task, dragging their momentum along with them. Sandals couldn't quite manage to catch the double weight from the extra force and buckled his knees. Blue paws slipped free from the slayer's silk scarf, being thrown down along with him. "Natsu!" Happy exclaimed sharply before pounding against the ground.

Big strong arms braced each impact of the slayer's body thumping against the ground at high speed. Burst of grunts came from his bitten jaw, trying to stop his head from wildly thrashing back and forth. It was short lasted when he suddenly collided with hard stone at his back.

A gasp of pain choked from his winded lungs. Harsh, heavy ringing echoed like a gong in the darkness, Resounding pulses of pain through Natsu's skull. Fingers wrapped around his temple, pressuring the headache to die away along with the dying ringing chime. Even though the headache stubbornly refused to leave, the ringing eventually subsided.

Darkness once again had swallowed his vision, either that or he was unconscious. Nevertheless, the dull throb in his head still pounded whether he was awake or not.

"Awake or asleep?" A voice whispered through the darkness. IT implied it was posing a question, which Natsu couldn't be sure he could answer. Despite no reply, it continued on, as if it never intended for there to be one in the first place. "An open door closes for another, but neither entrance truly matters." Its riddling complex brought an unwelcome feeling of exhaustion on to the dragon slayer. Either it was conscience decided to make his brain work for a change, or it was an old annoying man who constantly spoke in a hard, cryptic manner.

"Des..." Natsu grumbled into the empty darkness. There were no signs he was there and his presence was like thin air, leaving the slayer to think it really was his active imagination that brought such a troublesome figure into his life. It occurred to him in the same fashion that his previous riddle meant something along the lines of 'It doesn't matter if you're awake or not; which felt possible ambiguous; did he mean it simply? Or did it mean that Desmond lived in and outside his head. A cold chill ran down his dull spine at the thought of the latter.

Just when he realized his mind had been noisy for some time, did he notice the stretching silence. It also occurred to him that he might not continue, but just as it did, more mysterious foreboding words crept out the darkness. "Dreams and reality; Not one without the other, yet never joined together." It warned, letting a cold breeze pass over the dragon slayer's skin goose bumps in its wake. It made him wonder if it could be windy in his mind, but Desmond's voice continued. "Only can they cross over the broken finger, that hides beneath the fangs of the white tiger's cotton sheath."

The words seemed to fade into a mutter then a whisper, and then nothing. Desmond was gone.

Bright white light pierced his eyes with an angelic hopeful glow. For a moment Natsu thought it might be an angel rescuing him from the painful words grumbling through his throbbing mind. But alas, it was not.

"Natsu, you okay?" Hap appeared from the darkness. Dark eyes looked up at the glowing double-folded image of the cat hovering above him. Beautiful petite wings flutter on the cat's back with glowing white feathers, fending off the approaching darkness.

"Happy?" Natsu grumbled. "Am I dead?" Dazed and wonders and dilated eyes rolled under his squinting eyes around his rocking face, looking at the named feline with confusion.

"Um, no." Happy responded bluntly, sitting the slayer up. Shoulders seemed to sway from side to side like the hanging tongue of a grandfather clock. "I think you may have slight concussion though."

"What?" Natsu called over the returned faint ringing in his ears.

"Never mind." Happy sighed, offering his paws out. "Can you stand?"

Natsu huffed, disregarding his hands, and used the wall behind him to slowly lift himself up. Once on his feet, his balance wavered and he felt the familiar nauseated sickness in his stomach. "Are we moving?" Despite travel sickness always being Natsu's dilemma, it would never come to him anywhere else than in a vehicle.

"Nope; that's just you." Happy grumbled, gently picking up the slayer by the scarf again. It was difficult navigating, while lumbering the pink-haired boy whom had significantly grown, through the seemingly narrow corridors with low hanging ceilings. Not to mention, his light wings weren't very strong. There was a chance of two ways, leaving Happy to choose one.

Happy stared at the two corridors, weighing his choice in his hands. He had a deep hope that which one he choose might lead them out of where Natsu had dragged them. Although, if it did, Natsu would probably just turn back and go down to the other corridor.

"White...tiger..." Natsu mumbled groggily. Dark eyes looked down on him in confusion. White tiger? Happy thought, reminding him of something a guild mate had once taught him. Apparently, in a country to the west, they had four creatures to determine the direction. West is left, right? Maybe it was a sign of some kind telling him which way to go. With no reason not to do so, Happy took Natsu's half-conscious decision and went left, dragging the slayer's feet along the ground.

Substantial time had passed when the dragon slayer finally managed to find his feet again, and even more had been spent still wondering down the seemingly never-ending hallway. However, it would take infinitely more time before the pink-haired boy would ever be able to decipher the words Desmond had possible left him_, if_ his mind really wasn't making it up. Even if it did, they left a bad taste in the pink-haired boy's mouth.

"How long does this hallway go on for?" Natsu ranted furiously. Torched hands waved around in the air, making the cat glad he chose to walk. That, and his recent endeavors seemed to have out a strain on the cat's magic reserve. Unlike Natsu, he unfortunately couldn't suck up a few flames as refreshment, although grilled fish had a nice ring to it.

"I don't know." Happy said. "But it must lead us somewhere, right?" The question was meant to be rhetorical, used to put the slayer to rest, even if it was only a little bit. Those efforts were wasted with the beginning of the second round of Natsu's ever growing voiced frustrations.

Once again, several more minutes passed, maybe even half an hour or a whole, before something finally came into view. It was a door; brown, strong wood, black iron bars, and brass handle. Only a small candle kept it company, flickering a greeting to the burning flame of Natsu's fist. Relief flooded through the slayer's contorted face. Red gloves of fire faded into nothing, letting the dim lighting grow a little dimmer.

"A door!" Natsu bounced in joy racing for the handle with Happy hot on his heels.

"Wait, Natsu!" The cat exclaimed. Warm fingers wrapped around the cast brass handle, looking to the feline's confused face. Big round eyes looked to the door nervously, rolling his paws with anxiety over each other.

"What is it Happy?" Natsu asked.

"We don't know what's in there!" Happy whimpered. A perplexed expression appeared on the fire mage's face.

"So?" Natsu retorted.

"There could be more monsters like before!" Happy exclaimed, slightly maddened at Natsu's lack of concern. "What else would someone hide so far underground?"

"Hmm..." Natsu pondered, as if he was thinking about it for a moment, despite it once again being rhetorical. "Let's find out!" He finally exclaimed, and unhesitatingly marched straight through the creaking door with confidence, leaving Happy watching from behind, and a few shades light blue than before.

"Sometimes I don't know how to deal with you..." Happy sighed. Natsu may look like a man to some, but to those who know him, he was still quite obviously a young boy inside. Hesitant, tired blue paws padded slowly across the floor and through the door in the wake of the pink-haired boy.

On the other side of the door, the light was reasonably the same. Two small chandeliers rose on the tall black stands on either side of the doorway. Two more were strategically placed in the far corners of the room.

The far wall in the fairly small room was concealed by the long legs of the dragon, stood only a few feet in. Happy thought he would be more inclined to further enter the dark den, considering his earlier overflow of confidence. However, as the cat rounded his long legs and saw the hidden view revealed, even he, found himself glued to the spot.

A large glass sphere was embedded into the thick stone wall, containing a body suspended in pale grey liquid. Flaxen blonde hair wore through the space with only the slightest, disturbed sway of a rising occasional bubble. Pale skin took on a metallic glow, darkening the shadowing contours of her skin by the softened candle glow. Torn fabric fitted too tight around the feminine body, emphasising her rounded curves and exaggerated chest. Still eye lids laid closed on her small oval face.

As two onyx eyes stared in the swallowing shock at the display before them, only one name managed to find its way out of the pink-haired boy's mouth.

"Lucy..."

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 10; The Truths  
_The remaining group members begin to learn that some truths are actually lies in disguise..._**

* * *

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**-A-ccentric**


	10. The Truth

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 10: The Truth

_Gray_

"Stop!" Gray called. Wet mud clung to the bottoms of the ice mage's dark boots, jogging in the light rain. Sightly showers fell ever since they had defeated Jupiter, and the battlefield had fell silent. Lost, unsure men were quickly ordered to help the injured back to the main tent or track down the earl's escaping subordinates. Some enigmatic fire troupes scavenged the wreckage of robotic junk, obviously showing that they were some kind of engineering fanatics. Although, 'fanatics' seemed to be a nice term for them than what they could accurately be described as, picking blood and bone from the shredded machines like they were gold.

Ignoring them as they did to him, Gray pursued the blonde-haired mage. "Valentine, stop!" He called.

Mud splattered at the violent turn of the man's boots. Enrages blue eyes turned on the ice mage with his normally, light-hearted voice rose into a rough, loud bellow. "Don't think you can stop me from going in there and tearing out the heart of the man who murdered my wife!" Valentine roared. Boots turned viciously in the mud again, plundering a further few steps towards the castle before a hand dragged his shoulder round again,

"Valentine, calm down!" Gray exclaimed for what seemed like the billionth time. It was beginning to seam near to impossible to make the man blinded with consuming rage back. Then again, how could you calm a person who was told only moments ago that his wife was dead? Even so, in the short time getting to know the man in battle, despite his unusual quirks, Gray thought of him as a friend. There was no way he was letting him rush in unprepared, even if their battle was over.

Rage swelled inside the blonde man, desperate to be released somewhere, and at the time only Gray was around, leading the man to say a phrase he shouldn't have. "You don't understand!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, startling some nearby vultures. Valentine shrugged off the ice mage's hand and took a turn to the house, lifting his foot forwards.

It never made it down. The unsuspecting Valentine met a fist so fast he never even saw it coming. His body flew down into a contraption of metal that immediately caved underneath him, scattering nearby metal scavengers. It took him a few moments to comprehend what happened, pressing a hand to his red, throbbing cheek.

Eventually it clicked in place, and irritation flooded his hot-headed brain. "What the he-"

"I do understand!" Gray shouted before he could finish. The shock of ice mage's raised voice silenced the reeling man long enough to take in the man in front of him. Clenched hands squeezed into tight fists, one with bruising fingers. Shadows fell over his eyes like the same still cloak over his bare shoulders, not daring to rustle in the heightened density of the tense atmosphere.

"I do understand." Gray repeated through his tightly clenched teeth. A few more moments passed in silence, both the ice mage and shrine maiden not uttering a word. When sound did reappear again, it was only the rustling of pockets, having calmed pale hands slipped inside of them.

"My friend was killed on a mission." Gray sighed, dropping onto a robotic chest that provided a more than comfortable stool. He leaned back on his elbows, looking at the dark night sky. Dark smoke rose into the air from the dying fires under rainfall. Small, normally visible stars where nowhere to be found, even in the midnight sky. Valentine, frozen in place at the clutch of Gray's will, watched him quietly.

"We had no idea who did it or how to get to them. We had no way to avenge her. I was angry and frustrated and started to blame everyone else in the beginning. A few nights I barely remember, having gotten so drunk I ended up in a brawl, hurting people, and getting dragged home by my guild mates. I fought so hard that I really hurt some people around me. But no matter what I did, she was gone." Silence came again as the sorrowful and guilt ridden story came to an undeclared end.

"What does that have to do with me?" Valentine asked cautiously. Dark eyes calmly fell on the man and the heavy air disintegrated into nothing, like it was never there in the first place. Gray regarded his ally with momentary perplexing before answering.

"Nothing." He said, to Valentine's confusion. Watchful blue eyes stared dumbfounded at the dark-haired man rising carefully from his seat. "It just means I understand. And because of that, I won't allow you to stupidly get yourself killed before you can properly avenge her." A hand slid from his pocket, extending it down to his comrade.

Valentine gave both it and him a peculiar stare. Overriding rage that was eating at him just minutes before, had settled into a heavy weight inside of him. It was not gone, but temporarily stored inside like a sleeping dragon. It no longer threatened to drive him insane, allowing rational thinking to take over. He had absolutely no idea how the ice mage managed such a feat, but it was obvious he wasn't just a pretty face. A sad, tired noise that might have been a sigh or a chuckle, or maybe an odd combination of both, came from his lips. Fingers wrapped around the extended hand, allowing himself to be dragged to his feet until the two stood face to face, man to man with a strongly rebuilt alliance.

"Valentine! Gray!" Mana's voice called. Despite her sprained ankle, she managed to wobble long distances at such a speed that it was barely impossible to track her with normal eyes. Where Valentine followed her fluently, Gray struggled to keep up. Eventually, when her small stature was stood besides the ice mage, heaving long tired breaths, he could the wizard see her properly. Relief fluttered in her brown eyes at the sight of the calmed blonde haired man stood next to the ice mage.

When Gray had ordered her to leave, she was hesitant to abandon her friend. At the time he was still frozen in shock, but while she was gone, it seemed Gray had magically returned him to his level head, although, there was a darker tint to his deep azure eyes. Also, the run had also allowed her to calm down as well.

Finally, she turned to Gray, passing something into his hand. Two thick paper pieces in the shape of two similar rhombuses, sat open in his palm. Weaving brown patterns with deep browns, pale whites and sparkling golds twisted in a pattern much like the natural entwining branches of a rose brush. On the other side was an old, hand-painted image of a lonesome man dressed in long silver robes with a long grey beard, holding a black-caged lantern.

"That's..." Valentine spoke.

"Flare's card." Gray finished. Another hand-picked one card up and inspected the clean cut card speculatively. "When the bond is severed between the hermit world and card from the magic user, it breaks in half?" He enquired and Mana nodded. It didn't show on his face whether her report made a difference or not to whatever he found so interesting. He moved the cards alongside each other, comparing their length and then took turns fitting it back together and pulling them apart again. Valentine and Mana watched carefully on the side line, before the ice mage finally took notice of them again.

"Well?" Valentine eagerly probed.

"This card did not break on its own." Gray announced with a scrutinizing stare at the two halves of the card in his hands.

"Then Flare's not dead?" Mana bounded on the verge between possible hope and lingering grief. Gray simply shook his head, not providing an answer for certain. Valentine felt the weight on his chest tremble and fall still again.

"We can be sure of one thing; someone purposely cut this card." Gray said. "Someone who's trying hard to make us presume what we did."

"But why?" Mana wailed. Both irritation and frustration fluttered through her voice that rose a higher pitch at the end.

"I don't know." Gray shrugged. "But I've got a bad feeling."

_Natsu_

It felt surreal, Lucy, their long lost friend from three years ago, was right before them. She was gone and they had found her.

The shock was so profound that the cat found himself teetering between overwhelming happiness and relief and a saddening grief stirring up from all the time she was gone. Lost, confused and desperate to know which way to submerse himself, the cat turned to his right.

To his surprise, clear tears ran over his cold white cheeks. Unlike his body, his dark eyes were alight with fluctuations of emotion all in turmoil inside of him at once; love, hope, despair, grief, sorrow, joy. 'Eyes are like the doorways to the soul' one blonde mage had told him long ago, and the cat finally understood what she meant.

After three years of pain that weighed over them like an indiscrete object constantly following them around dissolved like a shower of snow, whitening Natsu's dark world with the tears Happy never saw him cry.

"We need to get her outta there!" Natsu exclaimed, bursting from his shock grip. Cold eyes were alight with the first sparks of life and hope just like they were long ago. It seemed not only did they find Lucy, but they also found Natsu. A smile pulled the cat's curved blue lips.

"Yeah!" The feline agreed, moving quickly across the floor. Lucy's undisturbed face looked down at them with a tranquillity that he might assume she was only sleeping. "But how?" Happy questioned, regarding the basic sphere and its surroundings curiously.

It should have been obvious what the dragon slayer's approached on the problem might have been. However, the flaming fist that burst straight through the glass shell still made his heart squeal in fear.

"What are you doing, Natsu?" Happy screamed. Adrenalin pumped rapidly in his small heart, shaving a few years off his life span. Onyx eyes regarded his cat best friend with innocent perplexed expression.

"We needed it open right?" He responded, calmly pulling his fist free. Sharp edges of glass broke against his tough skin as it managed to get free. Cloudy liquid burst out the gap like a high pressured pump through the hole Natsu had created. He regarded the fast fountain with amusement before turning back to the girl on the other side of the glass. The expression on his face subsided into mild concern, cleverly hid behind a hopeful smile. Happy was wise enough to read between the lines. Even with Natsu's fist's impact, the girl had no responded and still didn't as her limp body sank with the volume of the liquid.

It seemed to the cat that Natsu was still getting to grips with his emotions. Worry and concern was trumped by the relief from released pent up frustrations. A moment later, the roles would be reverse and his worry would become more prominent. In the end, Natsu was left with a mixed amalgamation of the two. It was painful to watch from the cat's point of view, unsure how he felt himself.

The thoughtful articulation of the dragon slayer ended with the sharp crack of the glass. Two dark eyes rolled down over the sphere to the pump, spreading the growing puddle next to them. Two white lines slowly jumped across the glass, some branching outwards, some sideward until it was completely scarred with the shape of a puzzle.

Dread piled up in the feline's small stomach, subconsciously looking for a sign that his magic may have recovered. It, unfortunately, hadn't.

Glass burst under the pressure, instantly drowning the room. Crashing waves of water knocked the slayer back against the wooden door, slammed closed at the force. Small gaps between it and its frame allowed the liquid to escape from the pressure.

Ignoring the crushing force of the liquid, Natsu managed to turn his body onto his front. Knees and arms pressed against the wall, pushing his aching body to sit up. A shaking, tense fist battled the crushing liquid all the way back. Spark flickered in the water, failing to light his flames. Nevertheless, he had all the push he needed. Releasing his arm, the water slammed it forwards. Knuckles smashed against the door, shattering it into tiny pieces.

Water gushed through the gap, dragging the pink-haired boy with it.

It seemed like a while until his body laid flat against the stone in a puddle of water. Coughs choked on the water, regurgitating the liquid that managed to get into his lungs. His heart and lungs burned. Muscles in his body felt tired and heavy, shakily lifting himself to his feet. Stinging, dry eyes cracked open, surrounded by a dull light.

Across the hall, the slayer could see the little lantern by the broken doorway flickering warmly. For the second time, Natsu felt the dull throbbing of a headache, accompanied by a bitter metallic taste on his tongue.

"Happy?" Natsu called out with a cough. "Happy?" Sandals trudged through the puddle, weighed down by his damp clothes, already half-dry from his body heat.

Blurry eyes glanced around the dim hallway, looking for any sign of the blue feline.

"Here, Natsu." Happy called from beyond the inside of the door. A moment later, the dragon slayer was stood next to him.

Onyx eyes fell onto the still, wet blonde by the feline's side. "Lucy!" he exclaimed, dropping into the water next to him. Gentle hands pulled her quiet limp body back onto his lap. "Lucy!" He called again, pressing his cheek to her face. A cold shiver rippled over his cheek. Dreading black eyes snapped to the cat, his whole face falling into delayed shock.

"She's not breathing..." Natsu uttered. Eyes looked back down to the still mage, laid so calmly on his lap that she could have been mistaken as only sleeping. A rough warm hand rested on her cheek, stroking away a stray blonde hair from over her face. "She's cold..." Natsu added monotonously.

Happy felt the tears swell in his dark eyes. A little piece of dread that was in his heart became crystal clear. Deep down inside, he always knew when they first laid eyes upon her. It was Lucy, they had really found her. But, she was already gone.

Big cat eyes looked up to the slayer slowly crumbling down, forced to accept the hidden fear that he tried so hard to deny. Tanned skin turned a pale white, examining the torn clothes of the girl in his arms. A small thumb-sized hole pierced her stomach and shirt. Most of the water had cleared the blood, but a dark, almost black stain still clung to the hole.

"Natsu..." Happy muttered. Curved lips quivered, painfully trying to hold back the tears. Weak legs collapsed underneath him, dropping into the splashing puddle of water. As he fell, the pain choked up inside of him, and the tears he had held back came rushing down.

"No...Lucy..." Natsu whimpered. Soft, heavy tears ran down over his tanned face. A shivering hand gently pressed over the old wound, sending a painful jolt down his spine.

Images flashed before his eyes; it was Lucy; her outstretched hand falling, dark eyes closing, her face going still.

"Lucy!" Natsu wailed, dragging her weak body into his arms. Tears washed over her pale shoulder burying his face deeply into her neck. Long, smothered pain swelled into his heart, squeezing it between its painful grasp. Shaking hands desperately cradled her body in his arms. Sobbing broke through the silence as the long pent-up tears were breaking free. "Luce..."

"Na...Natsu?" A voice whispered softly in his ear. Every muscle in the slayer's body froze. Weak, warm breaths of air ran over his stiff shoulders. Dull throbbing pounded faintly against his chest.

"Luce?" Natsu whispered, unable to move an inch.

"Natsu...you're crushing me." She wheezed. Slow, steady arms loosened just enough to see her face. Small candle light from the doorway spilled over her pale skin. Chocolate brown eyes squinted up at him with dilute confusion.

"Are you alive?" Natsu whispered softly, looking at her face, completely stunned.

"Natsu...?" She uttered, suddenly noticing the painfully cold expression on his face. A heavy, weak hand lifted from her side, reaching toward s it. Small fingers grazed his cold, wet cheeks, stroking away the smudged tears. "Natsu, what's wrong?"

"Am I dreaming?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Lucy uttered, staring up at him perplexed.

"You were dead...you weren't breathing." Natsu reported softly, still in reeling shock at her eyes staring back up at him.

"I'm not dead, Natsu." Lucy said, pressing her hands on either side of his broad face. Big brown orbs forcibly looked up into his stone onyx eyes. "I'm right here." She spoke with desperation, trying to reach to the cold, lonely place the dragon slayer was stuck.

Eyebrows pulled tightly together, his eyes swelling with water. A quiver rippled across Natsu's lips, pulling through the shaking smile on his cheeks. Tears rolled down his cheeks like broken shard of glass, cracking his frozen soul into overwhelmingly warm joy.

"You're alive!" Natsu cried, dragging her into another strong, forceful hug. "You're really alive!" Surprise sank from the blonde mage's face, letting her weak arms slowly wrap around his warm neck.

"Yeah," She whispered into his fluffy pink hair. "I'm really here."

"Lucy!" A familiar voice wailed. Brown and black eyes turned to their right, looking at the sobbing blue ball besides them. Two arms simultaneously reached out and pulled, dragging the cat into their embrace.

"Natsu," Lucy whispered, through her own rolling tears.

_Gray_

Empty humid air hung out during the early morning air. Darkness still shrouded the sky in dark skies, but the faint tints of blue were beginning to break through. Debris of concrete and glass lay in piles around the crumbling structure that was once a mansion. Silence was light and eerily present in the wake of the fight. Blonde hair hung over the man's grey face, buried in his hands. Next to where the blue eyed man sat, on a pile of collapsed rock, stood a tall man with dark black hair.

Gray hadn't said much after leading Valentine up to the mansion. Mana had departed to go find Erza, and Wendy and Carla who had parted ways with the speed mage to go find the fore mentioned wizard.

A soldier had passed information onto Gray about a tunnel within the house leading to a nest of rooms hidden underground. It was a few feet away from where the pair waited, cleverly disguised as a simple well. It's ambiguous existence was confirmed when Valentine hauled up the bucket, triggering a winding staircase to emerge on the inside.

They were waiting to regroup before heading down.

Mana reappeared a few minutes later, severely exhausted and limping on one foot. Two halves of the card slid from between Valentine's palms and into his pockets, quickly helping the girl to a slab of rock.

They waited for her to catch her breath before asking for a report. Valentine pulled a water bottle from underneath his cloak with the same mysterious entity as the mirror. Mana downed the entire bottle until there wasn't even a drop left.

"They weren't there." Mana explained, pushing her hair back with a shaky hand. Gray turned towards her with a confused and serious expression, but said nothing. She got the impression he was expecting an explanation. "Earlier I heard that Erza was fighting two planets at once. I'm not sure which ones but they wiped out most of the battalions on the right flank. Apparently they were slaughtered." Mana paused for a small moment, a flash of pain and unjustified guilt on her face before carrying on. "Erza ordered a retreat. But all that's there is dust. There's no sign of any of them; Erza, Wendy or Carla."

"What about Venus?" Valentine jumped. "_If _Fira isn't dead, then doesn't that mean Venus isn't trapped in Hermit's space? He could have gone after Wendy; he wanted her too, right?"

Both Gray and Mana gave him a sympathetic glance. T was the ice mage who dropped his gaze first. Despite what happened, Valentine's answer was also very reasonable. It also reminded Gray of when UL had died. Gray understood that pity wasn't what Valentine needed.

"It's true; that may be a possibility." Gray thought aloud, looking into the distance with a transparent gaze. "But I can't imagine Erza would lose to him if it was."

"Then you're saying it's like with Fira?" Mana implied, giving Gray a morbidly hopeful gaze. Warm chocolate eyes seemed paged with hope and grief, unsure what to believe because of everything happening around them. He would be lying if he didn't feel the same way.

Fira had been taken or possibly killed and covered up. Erza, Wendy and Carla had disappeared without a trace. Things only seemed to be going from bad to worse. Not to mention the fact that Gray hadn't seen Natsu or Happy since they went running after the pink-haired woman. They could have been captured as well. Although, he highly doubted it knowing how stubborn he could be. Still, the only thing Gray could be certain about was that hi, Mana and Valentine were still safe. It was also concerning that they hadn't come across any more of the Earl's planets and the man himself hadn't made his appearance.

The only thing they could do was move forwards.

"Let's get going." Gray ordered, moving away from his wall. The purple-haired girl's question went, once again, unanswered, leaving her naively laid in the dark. Yet, she couldn't find it in herself to persist and rose from her seat. Dull throbbing ached in her ankle, making her wince with a sharp gasp. Valentine caught her gaze and carefully helped her sit back down.

To Mana's confusion, Valentine crouched down in front of her, holding her ankle in his gentle hands. "Hi Fumi Yo I Mu Na Ya Kotomo Chi Lo Lane." Golden threads poured out like spindling webs, wrapping over her poorly bandaged ankle. They span and span until it was nearly folded around, letting the bright gold turn to a rustic copper colour.

"That should do it." Valentine smiled warmly, offering her a hand up. She took and rose to her feet. Pain, throbbing or burning were nowhere to be seen, making her ankle feel just like new.

"That's amazing." Mana exclaimed, testing her speed in a short circle around them.

"Careful Mana." Valentine warned. "It's only temporary. Once it wares off all the damaged sustained to it during this time will return. Normally, I wouldn't use it but it would be best to have you mobile in case of an emergency.

A slight shade of gloom and fear covered the girl's face, beginning to dread what kind of agony she would be in once the spell wore off. Most would have asked what time she had left, but knowing something like that would only make her panic.

"Shall we go?" Gray called over, patiently waiting beside the well.

"Let's go." Valentine responded, walking over towards him, leaving a hesitant Mana to catch up.

Long winding steps went round and round the stone walls. Mana cautiously wondered behind, wary of her ankle. Valentine kept quiet, following after Mana who followed Gray.

With each continuing moment going down stairs, the deep they went. Darkness completely shrouded them beneath the many steps leading to the surface.

"How far do these stairs go down?" Mana growled, asking the question that was everyone's minds. "We've been walking down these forever!"

"I hope this isn't some kind of trap, leading us pointlessly further down." Valentine grumbled pessimistically.

Gray stayed quiet and observant, feeling a weird sensation of expectance. It happened a moment later; a shift in the atmosphere. Dense moist air dissolved into a clear cool breeze. It was so faint that it would have gone unnoticed if the ice mage wasn't looking for it.

"We're near the end!" He called with relief, wondering how much longer it would take before he developed claustrophobia. Their speed increased along with their eagerness, powering down each step quicker than the last. Air got thinner and clearer, damp stone dried and darkness slowly swept back as they closed in.

Eventually, they came to a door. It was a brass handled, iron bolted wooden door. A single flickering candle stood by its side, flickering in the almost none existent draft.

"What an ominous looking door." Mana noted sarcastically. "Can't get any freakier than that."

Dark, short hair ruffle a little as the ice mage shook his head, carefully reaching towards the handle. It was ice cold at first touch, which didn't particularly bother the ice wizard. Fingers clasped around it and pulled.

Fire flickered at the icy gusts of wind burst from the crack, disturbing the short strands of Gray's dark hair. Nevertheless, the wizard slowly and cautiously pried it open.

"What is this?" Gray uttered, staring beyond the doorway.

Valentine and Mana appeared by his side, staring at the room. Glass shattered on the floor with only a few steel boxes in the corner. Tubes hung broken in half, all leading to the round, glass hole in the wall. Mass rows of computers set out in the same style as a laboratory.

Valentine moved down towards the what-seemed-like main computer and read the written text aloud. "100% - Download complete."

"Download?" Mana repeated. "Download to what?"

"To whatever was in here it seems." Gray answered, resting a hand on the unbroken half of the glass sphere.

"It must have broken out from the room on the other side of this glass." Valentine explained, peering through with his hands wrapped around his eyes. There was a shattered door in pieces on the floors which may have been an identical copy to the one they came through. Water collected in puddles on the stone floor, sprinkled with shattered pieces of yellow tainted glass.

"This is tinted glass." Mana added. "Whatever was on the other side can't see in here."

"But the real question is; what _was_ in there?" Valentine spoke with caution.

"Better yet; where is it now?" Gray corrected.

_Natsu_

"So where do we go now?" Happy asked, walking alongside the dragon slayer.

"We need to get Lucy out of here and to safety." Natsu responded, shifting his grip a little. Blonde hair spilled down the dragon slayer's shoulders, letting her drowsy face lay comfortably on them. Pale arms wrapped around his neck with his wrapped around her thighs.

Happy held the piece of wood they'd taken from the door and lit up with flames as a make-shift torch.

"Shouldn't we just leave the way you came in?" Lucy suggested with a mumble.

"We would, if we could find where we came in from." Natsu laughed sheepishly.

"Although, I don't think I have enough magic left to fly both you guys out." Happy added.

"Idiots." Lucy grumbled. A small chuckle came from the dragon slayer's lips, bearing a wide smile. "So," Lucy uttered, turning to look at the blue cat. "Why did you come down here in the first place? From the shock on your faces earlier, I can tell it was a surprise to see me."

"Ah!" Happy exclaimed, making the fire mage jump in surprise.

"What is it?" Natsu yelped.

"We forgot Natsu!" Happy shouted.

"Ah!" Natsu yelled with the same previous shock.

"Are you two drunk? Or are you just crazy?" Lucy grumbled, showing her obvious accusation clear on her face.

"No, not that Natsu!" Happy exclaimed. "Natsu's lady double. She had pink hair and dark eyes and she's called Natsu-sama and she's the head of the fire troupe and-"

"Whoa, Whoa." Lucy cut the cat off, furring her eyebrows together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Hm?" Happy looked back up at the blonde and suddenly realised something. The feline wasn't sure why or how he didn't notice before, but it appeared to him like day and night. "Natsu..." Happy uttered, looking dumbfounded at the blonde. "She hasn't changed."

"What do you mean, Happy?" Natsu asked with a perplexed expression.

"Lucy; she's exactly the same as she was three years ago." Happy explained. Onyx eyes turned to the blonde silently confused on his shoulder. Carefully, he lowered her down to her feet, turning towards her.

Even Natsu hadn't noticed; the same clothes she was wearing on that day, with every rip and tear. Her blonde hair was to the same length to the inch. Even her body hadn't grown a millimetre higher. There was a massive difference in their height and they could see it slowly dawning on her face as well.

"Why are you so tall, Natsu?" Lucy uttered, reaching up to touch his face. Her arm stretched up, touching the soft pink hair between her fingers. "Your hair's so long." Even his body had grown broader with bigger muscles and a sharper face. How had they all not noticed?

"You haven't changed at all in three years." Natsu uttered.

"Three years?" Lucy questioned. "What do you mean 'three years'?"

"Lucy...you've been missing for the past three years." Happy elaborated.

Knees gave way beneath her, bringing the blonde to the stone floor. Brown orbs widened in surprise, confused and scared and shocked all at the same time. "No way..."

"Luce?" Natsu questioned in concern, reaching a hand forwards towards her shoulder. For a moment, the slayer thought she would back away, but instead, she allowed his warm hand to rest there. A king shaky breath went in and out of her lungs, picking herself back up to her knees. She held her hand over her face for a moment and then brought it down with a sigh.

"Okay," She calmed. "It's been three years and I have a feeling we're not in the best of situations. So, break it down for me short and fast."

Happy and Natsu exchanged a short glance, and decided to do as they were told.

They talked about their inconclusive search for her directly after what happened, with the blonde recalling little to nothing about the actual fight up to the point where se was shot.

Then they went on about what they did vaguely for the three years.

Finally, it came to the mission to find Madame Charlotte's son and the fire troupe, the Earl and the battle, bringing them up to the present.

"So, we're trying to find Madame Charlotte's son, and reunite with this 'Natsu-sama' woman who's the head of the fire troupe?" Lucy asked, to which the boys nodded. "I got it. What about Gray, Erza and Wendy? Where are they?"

"We don't actually know. Last time we saw them was before we left to find Natsu-sama. They probably went to find Erza or Mana." Happy explained, leaving Natsu to look sheepishly guilty for leaving them.

"Jeez. Rushing straight into dangerous situations without hesitation." Lucy sighed, baring a soft smile on her lips." You guys never change, do you? Not even after three whole years."

Natsu gave a weak smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"So naive, and stupid." Lucy continued quietly, her voice taking an icy tone. Surprisingly, Natsu didn't hear her, offering her a hand to get up. Happy stared at her with a strange sensation washing over his skin, making every hair stand on end.

"How do we get out of here?" Natsu sighed, looking around the dimly lit portion of corridor.

"I think I know a way out." Lucy spoke behind him.

"Really? That's great!" Natsu exclaimed in relief and excitement. A delayed thought caught up with him, just as he shifted his feet to turn to her. "But why do you kno-"

Both his voice and movement was cut off by the hot burst of heat rushing over his body. A sharp pain dug into his lower back. Onyx eyes slowly looked down. Silver metal ran straight through his stomach, dripping a weird red substance into a pile on the floor. As the dagger slid out, Natsu felt all his strength be pulled out along with it. "L...Luce?" Natsu uttered, teetering through the air. The earth turned and hit the numb side of his face, shifting the world into a strange blur of dull colours.

"Always so naive, Natsu." Lucy's voice whispered through the enshrouding veil of darkness.

"Always so stupid." A deeper masculine voice added with cold, bitter tone.

Before Natsu could look up to see who it was, the darkness swallowed him. All he could hear was Desmond's voice _'Dreams and reality; Not one without the other, yet never joined together. Only can they cross over the broken finger that hides beneath the fangs of the white tiger's cotton sheath.'_

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 11; The Discovered  
**

As betrayal catches up with the group and undiscovered lies comes to be discovered.

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	11. The Discovered

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 11: The Discovered 

_Gray_

Glass shattered into several shards, dropping all over the floors and computers. Ice stairs climbed up onto a platform through the hole in the wall. Gray, Valentine and Mana walked through the hole and down the stairs on the other side. Puddles of water could be seen as a grey murky liquid, obviously not the harmless H20 as they first thought. The shattered door also gave a both daunting and unexpected clue to the ice mage.

"What is it?" Valentine asked, staring at the charred piece of wood in the crouched wizard's hand, no bigger or wider than a nail.

"Natsu." Gray sighed, slinging the wood back onto the ground. The liquid from the puddle the wood fell into splashed and landed on his shoe. There were no viable signs of corrosion so the ice mage left it be, too preoccupied by other matters.

"What?" Mana questioned in surprise. Small brown eyes looked between the shattered sphere and splintered door. "You don't think he was the one to let _it_ out?"

"He's definitely stupid enough to." Gray growled irritably.

"Natsu Dragneel; sounds just as Infamous as Fira explained." Valentine grumbled lightly, hesitating before he mentioned his wife's name. Once again, the emotions buried deep inside of him ripple and settled again.

"Trust me," Gray grumbled, rising to his feet. "He is." Black, liquid-coated boots passed through the crumbling doorway, snatching the candle next to the door and a solo chandelier laid in its own puddle.

"Come on, Mana; let's go." Valentine called over his shoulder, summoning the girl to his side, who cautiously made sure not to get any of the suspicious water on her.

They walked quietly through the dark corridors, listening to Mana's self-satisfying monologue every now and then. There were no turns on their walk down the passage way, just a low hanging ceiling and bare stone walls, dimly lit by the torch held in Mana's hands.

After a longer than usual period of silence, Gray came to an abrupt stop. Mana almost crashed into the ice mage, giving a startled yelp of surprise.

"What is it?" Valentine asked, almost immediately noticing the alert on the ice mage's face. A finger pressed to Gray's lips with a soft hush. Four other eyes followed his gaze into the darkness beyond.

The soft beat of air faintly grew, accompanied by heavy breaths and smothered shuffling on footsteps. They grew and grew with the intensity of the atmosphere.

"Ice make:," Gray whispered. "Axe."The coo lair took a bitter frosty turn, shooting Goosebumps up the other two wizards exposed skin. Magic rippled over the dark-haired man's strong arm, filling his hand with a growing ice sculpture. It stopped with a heavy frozen blade on the end acing the approaching noise.

Suddenly blue fur appeared from the dark shell. White wings frantically flapped in the air, propelling the cat forwards. A slight relief washed over the ice mage, realising it was only happy, disintegrating his magic. A second later he noticed the cat's eyes; dark eyes were lit full of fear. The pounding footsteps continued, when Gray realised that Happy was flying.

Valentine watched the figure immerge from the darkness like a wild cat. Claw-like fingers shot through the air, catching its prey with ease. All fours came down on the exceed's back, slamming it straight into the concrete. When it came to a sliding stop, its darkness cloaked figure disappeared.

"Happy!" Mana exclaimed.

The crouched figure lay pounced on to the limp blue body. Brown speckled, golden fur rippled under the glow of the torch light. His yellow fur chest was bare, with only a pair of black loose jeans hanging from his slender waist, decorated with hanging silver chains. "Gotcha." The assailant purred, peeling the limp body off the ground. Pale yellow eyes glared sadistically at the hanging blue cat, with knife-thin black irises. "My, my, running away while I was dealing with that fire idiot." He swung the cat carelessly by the tail before slinging it back over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Fire idiot?" Mana exclaimed. "What did you do to Natsu?" She snapped, taking a threatening step forwards. Valentine pressed a hand against her shoulder, keeping her safely back.

Pointed yellow ears perked from his short blonde mane, turning towards the direction of the sound. Pale amber cat eyes looked up at the girl curiously, only just noticing the onlooker's presence. A crooked grin pulled his lips apart, revealing the white needle-sharp fangs.

"Let's just say he'll be sleeping for a while." He purred, increasing his sadistic grin.

"You-"Gray exclaimed, lifting his hand and fist up into the air.

A gust of wind leapt up a second before the three of them could react. But Valentine didn't need a second to realise the wind wasn't caused by the cat-like attacker. There wasn't just one enemy, but two. During his realisation, he hadn't noticed his mistake. It wasn't 'the three of them' anymore; It was just the two of them.

Gray had vanished in an instant without even a whisper of noise.

Tense ocean blue eyes turned forward. A second figure appeared out of the darkness, fur rippling with the movement of his lean muscles. Rounded black ears grazed the hanging ceiling on top of the round jaguar face. Emerald green eyes narrowed on the blonde-haired man, contracting the black slit pupils. IN one arm, swung the unconscious body of the ice mage, so limp and still, it may have been possible he was dead.

A sharp squeal of fright choked in Mana's thought. Valentine sensed her sudden spike in fear, causing her entire body to shiver violently.

"Venus..." Mana uttered barely any higher than a whimper.

"Don't get distracted." Venus growled to his golden furred partner, significantly more human looking that the large overgrown black cat. "Go and take the dragon slayer to Master before he gets impatient."

"Don't get your whiskers in a twist; I'll go get him in a minute. I just had to catch this one first." The slender cat shrugged, gesturing to the fur ball hanging over his shoulders.

"You may try to disrespect me, but don't try disrespect my master's orders." Venus growled, his calm demeanor taking a threatening tone. "Mercury, go take care of him. Now."

Sharp golden ears pressed back against his head, wrinkling his nose in contempt. "I got it. I got it. Sheesh." Mercury muttered under his breath, disappearing into the darkness.

"You're Venus?" Valentine growled, setting his blue eyes on the overgrown cat. A rounded ear flickered, slowly triggering his black head to turn towards him. Green eyes looked from him, to the girl and back without showing any hint of emotion. Or it would be more accurate to say he was trying had to be emotionless. It made Mana feel a pang of surprise, when her thoughts tried to appeal to her that he had some humanity, even after what he had done.

A second line of thoughts overrode her last, reminding her that they didn't know exactly what it was he had actually done for certain. He had knocked Carla and her out, but Gray suggested earlier that Fira might not even be dead. Gray was unconscious in his arms, but there was no way of actually knowing if he was alive or just knocked out. All her thoughts began to jumped and overload, leaving her to fizzle out into reality.

When she did return, she immediately wanted to go back to her confusing thoughts. The weight of the atmosphere had double and kept on doubling with every passing moment. It was so heavy that even Mana didn't dare take a breath.

Valentine didn't wait long enough to starve the girl of oxygen, immediately launching his hand sup in front of him. Shapes began to blur into a momentary fuzz of movements too fast for the eyes to see, even for a cat's.

Chants poured from the man's mouth in a language Mana didn't understand and would never be able to articulate or narrate down on paper. It sounded deep and dark that pulled dread from the deepest parts of her heart. Fear struck her mind, afraid to see what might appear.

However, Mana was never able to witness the foreboding magic. That was because nothing happened. Alienating blue eyes stared down at his bare hand in shock and confusion.

"Your magic has been nullified." Venus explained with a calming, monotonous voice. "The liquid you had come into contact with was a magic-cancelling chemical. Both my partner and I had already been vaccinated against it. It was done in order to successfully capture the dragon slayer, the ice mage and you. It would have been impossible to fight at full strength with any one of you, let alone two at the same time. Certain extra measures had to be taken in order to have successfully retrieved all three."

"But how would you know we would come this way?" Mana exclaimed, refusing to believe they could capture them off-guard so conveniently.

"The soldier." Valentine hissed.

"But-"Mana whimpered. "They were fire troupe members..."

"Just because we don't have spies in theirs, doesn't mean they don't have spies in ours." Valentine bitterly explained. Mana immediately thought back to when Natsu-sama had been absent from the camp, thinking back to the spy she had a rendezvous with. It then occurred to her that Valentine probably didn't know, and thought best not to point it out to him aloud.

"But Gray used his magic earlier; the ice axe!" She said instead, still trying to argue. "Before Happy appeared!"

"Unfortunately, both the dragon slayer and ice-make mage have second origin, along with the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards, excluding the exceeds. " Venus replied with the same cautiously steady tone." The suppressant only works on their first origin. Once that is sealed, the second origin is immediately triggered."

"But how did you know Natsu would be there?" Mana persisted, desperate to find some evidence that they hadn't been in the enemy's hands all along.

"We knew he was pursuing your leader. With her scent, we were able to lure him down a whole of our creation." Venus explained.

"But...But..." Mana shook her head, feeling the horrible sensation of sickness and dread rise up her stomach and into her throat. "It can't be. We can't have been manipulated all this time. Valentine, it's not true, is it?" Purple hair fell down her back, looking up at him with desperation.

"Oi." Valentine snapped, turning his sharp blue eyes on the black cat. His voice lowered into a deep threatening growl, placing his body between Venus and the girl. "Aren't you telling your enemies a little too much?" Venus stated silent, staring at the man with level eyes that said everything. "Unless," Valentine continued. "You're not going to let us live long enough to tell anyone?" Once again, Venus stayed silent, not even making the sound of his breathing be heard.

"Valentine?" Mana whispered, trying her best to suppress the increasing panic of her heart.

"My spell is still active, right?" Valentine asked, not turning towards her.

"Yes..." Mana replied, touching her foot to the floor to test it. There was no pain or significant ache to tell her it had worn off, meaning the magic was still active.

"That means that this suppressant only stops us from forming new magic. That's alright." Valentine sighed. "It should remain active for a few minutes even after I lose my connection to it."

"Val-" Mana began but Valentine cut her off.

"I need you to do something for me." Valentine asked, his tone turning softer with a small hint of a plea inside. Mana couldn't bring herself to speak, her voice lost in a place far away for safe keeping. Instead, she could only manage a small nod. Despite having his back turned to her, he seemed to know what she did.

Suddenly Valentine moved like light, his arm darting through the air. Hard knuckles collided against the big cat's face with enough force to send him staggering backwards. A free black paw reached up to his face in surprise touching the aching area.

"Run, Mana!" Valentine roared.

His voice sent her blazing through the darkness in an instant, leaving the burning torch to clatter against the floor.

Valentine collapsed against the stone floor. Gusts of winds blew up and settled as the cat reappeared above him. The blonde man was hauled under his free arm, the other occupied by the ice mage, both lifelessly still. Narrow black pupils turned to the darkness, hearing the faint crisp of glass being crushed under quick feet, They turned back down to the dying flame on the floor.

"So," Mercury grinned, stuffing his hands into his torn trousers. "You let the little mouse get away. Or would she be better described a hare?" Golden cat eyes met an irritated pair of green ones, much to the cat's surprise and intrigue. "Oops, did I step on your tail?"

"Just go get her." Venus growled.

"Aye, sir." Mercury teased with a mock salute. The spotted half-cat disappeared in a flash, cutting the light out as he passed.

"A whippet." Venus muttered softly, watching the final red embers of wood cooled, allowing the darkness to swallow the corridors again.

_Natsu_

Natsu awoke to the startling clatter of metal. A pounding headache throbbed in his skull with the dull taste of iron on his tongue. Sharp stinging pulses of heat radiated from out his lower back. It brought back a rush of memories that only intensified his headache into a migraine.

Onyx eyes flashed down to his stomach, seeing clearly polished tan skin with only a few bruises and thin cuts; none of which were in the area he was certain he had been stabbed. Looking down, he also noticed that he was stripped of his scarf, vest and shoes, with only his pants on, shredded and charred from earlier.

Metallic ringing continued, catching his attention. Dark pupil looked up and across.

A black leather chair sat in the center of the room; a plain but incredibly large warehouse with no windows or doors. A steel gates were pulled down on his right, sectioning at least two thirds of the room away. Lights installed into the tall ceiling illuminated everything with incandescent white light.

Long steel chains sat in a two piles on either side of the black chair, looping up to the seat and across to the other side of the room. From over one corner of the black chair, Natsu noticed the edge of what seemed like a steel frame with chains connected to the top two corners. Ultimately, the chair was turned away from him, hiding whomever it was sat in its seat.

As Natsu tried to move his body, he became aware of his own situation. Two steel clasps pinned him back against a steel square, suspending him in a horizontal position. Fire-resistance braces held him down; two on his ankles, spreading his limbs uncomfortably far apart.

A long plastic tube filled with murky grey liquid was looped around an IV drop leading up, over his shoulder and into his neck, at the point where he was weakest.

Natsu felt a sick dread in his stomach, trying his best to summon his magic. But just as he dreaded, nothing happened. A reaction did eventually occur, just not the one he was trying to achieve.

The black chair swiveled round, turning to face the dragon slayer.

"Natsu," The voice called out happily. "So glad you could join us in time."

"Who are you?" Natsu growled as best he could, trying to fight the weakness so clearly shown in his body.

"me?" The man smiled, pushing back his messy brown hair away from his square glasses. Whatever coloured eyes he had, were hidden behind the light, glinting over their surface. The only other thing Natsu could see, was the pristine white lab coat buttoned and iron perfectly. Everything about him seemed meticulously clean, all except the mess o brown hair tied back into an attempted pony tail. "I'm just a scientist that's all." He shrugged with two open palms innocently facing upwards.

"Bull!" Natsu snapped. A trickle of sweat slid down his cheek, dripping from his chin and splattering against the stone floor. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"Firstly, I'll admit that I do like to dabble in other things now and then, but mainly I'm a scientist." The man sighed twiddling with a chain resting on the arm of his seat; chains that were looped back to the frame behind him."But, to answer your question that would be the side effects of Mercury's magic combined with the suppressant being pumped into your blood.

"Mercury?" Natsu repeated in confusion.

"Ah," The scientist exclaimed, pausing momentarily for thought. "You probably know him as your beloved, long-lost Lucy."

"What?" Natsu growled, jerking forwards against his hold. It didn't let him move much, but it was enough for him to show his anger.

The scientist brush his reaction aside, continuing with his elf-induced conversation. "Your little Lucy, who you so happily found in my basement, reunited after three long years is-"

"Natsu!" A familiar, feminine voice exclaimed. A door, cleverly blended into the wall, slammed open. Long blonde hair fell against her pale shoulder, big chocolate brown eyes staring at him in despair. "Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy cried, covering the distance between them at a rapid pace.

"Luce, you're alright!" Natsu exclaimed in relief.

"Oh, you're back. I suppose you got my message then." The scientist cheerily grinned, twisting his chair to face the girl. Lucy's dramatically relieved face faded as she turned to the man in the chair.

"Yeah, I let the girl go; She's not necessary, right?" Lucy responded with a tried shrug, wandering a little closer towards him.

"Luce?" Natsu muttered, confused at what was happening.

"Sorry dude," Lucy grinned, her voice dropping deep and heavy. Slowly her face began to distort, Her chin sharpened, golden fur growing across all her skin. Two gold ears sprung out against the blonde hair shrunk back into short spikes on her head like a mane. Long nails turned into razor sharp claws, with still noticeably human fingers, covered in light fur. Chocolate brown orbs turned into pale yellow orbs with knife sharp pupils. "I'm not Lucy." The half-cat grin mischievously, unveiling his sharp fangs tucked away beneath his lips.

"Lucy!" Natsu gasped, his jaw dropping wide open. "You turned into a cat!" He exclaimed.

"You stupid idiot!" The cat exclaimed in anger and disbelief.

"It really is Lucy!" Natsu continued with a sigh of relief and confusion. Mercury couldn't find any word to express how stupidly irritating the dragon slayer was. Meanwhile, the scientist chuckled lightly, cleared amused by the situation.

"As I was saying," The scientist cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "The Lucy you saw was a fake."

"A fake?" Natsu questioned, still watching the cat person curiously.

"Yep, a fake." The scientist confirmed, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair and interlocking his fingers. Shiny glasses peered over his pale knuckles with a soft curl of his lips. "Mercury has the power to manipulate illusions through memory. Bu successfully downloading the memories of a person, he is able to perfectly imitate his target to the point he can even trick those who are closest to them."

"It was an illusion?" Natsu uttered, dark eyes falling heavily on the brown speckled cat. Suddenly, Desmond's words reappeared in the back of his thoughts, ''Dreams and reality; Not one without the other, yet never joined together. Only can they cross over the broken finger that hides beneath the fangs of the white tiger's cotton sheath.' And he finally understood what it meant. His dream to see Lucy had clouded his reality, allowing him to be caught by an illusion. A dream cannot be reality, and Natsu should have realised that. Broken fingers, meaning lies and white tiger's cotton sheath; The wolf in sheep's clothing, with the dagger, lying in the west. The Lucy he saw was someone pretending to be her, and he believed it and ended up thinking he had gotten himself stabbed.

He should have known all along; but Natsu really was an idiot. "But-"

"How did I get Lucy's precious memories, you ask?" The glasses man continued. A hand reached down into his lab coat pocket and returned with a closed fist. White fabric settled back into his chair, lifting the small object between his fingers.

Even at such a distance, Natsu's vision allowed him to clearly see what it was; a crumbled piece of cylindrical metal, no thicker than a thumb. From the fur of his pink eyebrows, the scientist could easily see the confusion.

"This," The scientist said. "Is the bullet that had travelled through the stomach of your beloved Lucy those many years ago."

"What?" Natsu snapped, jolting forwards against his holds.

"A cat's nose is a marvellous thing. I had mercury find this precious little gem for me." The scientist continued wondrously. "Although it hadn't been a through and through shot, or else this bullet would have hit you too. I managed to find it discarded in the Earth several days after it was fired, though no body accompanied it."

"So Lucy –the real Lucy- is alive?" Natsu asked, his dark eyes searching for some kind of answer to the question he had been asking himself for so long.

"That, dragon slayer, is something I do not know." The scientist sighed almost sympathetically. "I can tell you the bullet I fired was aimed and calculated perfect so it wouldn't hit any major organs."

"Wait." Natsu intervened, his dark eyes turning an ice cold with a hot burst of incredible intensity. The scientist looked vaguely surprise. Mercury on the other hand, slunk slowly back towards the glasses man, putting distance between himself and the dragon slayer. "What do you mean, 'the bullet _you_ fire'?" Natsu growled with a voice so deep and threatening, the temperature of the air appeared to turn ice cold, despite the thermometer o n the far wall still reading 27 degrees Celsius.

"Who else do you think fired that gun?" The scientist shrugged with the same matter-of-fact tone.

A image flashed before his eyes, taking straight back to that very moment. The crash of the gun, the man pointing the barrel...the glint of his glasses. Old deep rage suddenly rose to the surface, almost overwhelming the dragon slayer. After all that time of not knowing who was responsible, to suddenly be face to face with the culprit, brought up all the emotions he had buried so deeply over the three years.

"It was you."

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 12; The Revelation  
**

** As more about the past comes into clarity, it leads to a heart-breaking revelation for Natsu and his emotions**

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	12. The Revelation

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 12: The Revelation

"It was you." Natsu rumbled, coiling his fingers into the tightly crushed fists. Veins protruded from his skin, pushing the drip in his neck with such force, the IV drip shattered. Grey liquid splattered across the floor with shattered glass falling around it. Muscles wound up to the point that they might tear. Blood boiled with rage and anger in his veins. Heat burst across his body, instantly breaking his skin out into a glass of sweat, rolling down his skin.

"Uh oh," The scientist said in a dull concern tones, but showed no signs of fear on his face.

"What's he doing?" Mercury asked with haste, creeping fearfully around the back of the black chair.

"He's rising the temperature of his body in order to burn off the magic suppressant in his veins." The scientist explained with more intrigue than his voice than actual concern.

"What?" Mercury exclaimed in fright. "How can he do that?"

"Don't underestimate a dragon slayer with a three year long grudge." The scientist chuckled, watching amusingly.

"This isn't funny!" Mercury whimpered.

The creaking wail of the metal reverberated through the air. Scales ran along the dragon slayer's skin. Sparks jumped and flickered around his fists. White canines, much bigger and stronger than the cat's, protruded from his tightly clenched jaw. A trickle of blood ran down from the edge of his neck, squeezed out from the pressure of his veins.

Sudden flames burst up like a soaring blaze. Metal fire balls were sent flying through the air, clattering against the stone floor. One laded and rolled up to the black boots of the scientist. Glass-covered eyes regarded the black charred metal as it melted into a bubbling puddle at his feet. Mercury let out a squeal of fear, ducking to dodge another flying cuff.

Bare feet dropped against the stone, sending a ripple shaking through the Earth. Cracks exploded from his feet, skating all the way up the walls and ceiling. The thick concrete floor reacted to the pressure like he was walking on thin ice. It creaked and wailed under the force of the heat. The thermometer on the other side of the room broke, glass dropping against the floor. However, not even a single drop of sweat came from the scientist's pale skin, patiently watching the dragon slayer approach. Mercury had become a cat that looked like it had a bucket of water thrown over it.

"You made through my guild, my team, and Lucy go through all that pain." Natsu growled a black silhouette amongst the ocean of flames cloaked around him. "Now I'm going to return it to you a thousand times over.

Slowly, the dragon slayer lowered his body to the ground in a crouch. Glowing red eyes pierced through the swallowing flames like a beast's, locking straight onto the man in the black chair.

A sonic boom burst through the air, blowing Mercury back, rattling the metal chains, throwing the metal divider almost completely off its hinges. Flames moved at the speed of light, heading straight towards the man like a meteor, ready to destroy anything in its way. "Iron fist of the-" Natsu bellowed, moving too fast to see.

Suddenly flames went up in the smoke as the slayer was shot out of the sky. Rubble burst outwards like a tidal wave under the force of his body crashing back down into the concrete. Two feet slammed down on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

A sharp, hot blade touched the back of his neck in a flash. Just as it was about to cut into his skin, it began to metal into black bubbling ink. Like a tattoo the blade moved down the skin of his neck with a boiling hot burn at the push of the blade. Once it reached the edge of his skin it turned solid again, locking his neck against the concrete. "Move and you'll kill yourself." An unfamiliar voice warned.

The sensation of hot ink bubbling over his skin moved over his ankles, wrists, thighs and chest. Natsu bucked his back but the person on top of him didn't budge. Flames swallowed his hands in a glove of fire, spreading it down to his wrist, but no matter how hot he made his fire, the metal wouldn't melt. He tried to move his head, but just as his skin touched the blade, a hot burning pain cut into his skin. There was no blood but the hot pain travelling down his neck was so intense he could have passed out. It was an even sickening revelation that the air smelt of charred flesh.

"Saturn," The scientist greeted cheerfully. "When did you wake up?" The surprise at his ally's appearance surprised the dragon slayer. The man in the lab coat didn't even flinch when Natsu came at him, and showed no signs of fear at his rage; he had to have known his ally was coming. There was no way he could have kept such an impervious composure and not know his safety was guaranteed. Could he?

"He woke up a few minutes ago." A second voice appeared from the doorway. Dark eyes flickered up, noticing the tall black cat stood by the man's side. He hadn't even seen him move.

"Thank you for bringing him to see me, Venus." The scientist grinned. "You are so loyal."

"Of course, Master." Venus bowed, showing his gratitude for the complement.

"Now, back to what I was saying." The scientist continued, revealing the bullet again from his closed fist. A sharp glowed rumbled from between the slayer's teeth.

Saturn's fist crashed into the back of the dragon slayer's pink head, slamming it against the concrete. Blood dripped from his nose and his split lip which added a bitter sting. "Don't disrespect my master." Saturn hissed.

"Calm down, Saturn; It's quite alright." The scientist coaxed the easily tempered mage. "With his emotions, he's so different from the cold, quiet old Saturn. I like this one better though."

"Yes, Master." Saturn responded, reluctantly drawing his fist from the back of Natsu's head. The slayer spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring up at the white coat man.

"I was able to use the blood from this bullet." The scientist presented the crushed piece of metal again. "This is the only substance other than the brain that can have memories extracted from it. Doing such allowed me to transfer them to an accessible section in Mercury's brain and reform his mind until he is almost completely become that person. There is only the conscious awareness of his true self which is left.

"Luckily that guy's such an idiot he wasn't even suspicious that they were three years old." Mercury added, returning around the opposite side of the chair. He caught eyes with the taller black cat. "What took you so long?" He scoffed, exposing the obvious contempt in their relationship. Venus' eyes narrowed on the half-cat for a moment before turning away with nothing said.

Natsu let out a sharp hiss at the yellow cat instead, causing it to jump back in shock. A smothered flicker of a grin passed over Venus' mouth.

Mercury hissed, regaining his composure. "Can I kill him, yet?"

Brown hair was pushed away from the glasses again, turning back to the pink-haired boy. "Not quite yet." The scientist replied.

"Let me guess," Natsu sarcastically chuckled. "You're going to take my soul in order to create another monster right?"

"You're such a genius, dragon slayer." Mercury growled, laying it on thick with the sarcasm. "But, we don't need you little soul as much as you think." Onyx eyes snapped to the cat with a glare, making him draw back. They then turned to the man in the black seat.

"My plan never included taking your soul, Natsu." The scientist admitted. "Although you have been a very important piece to me.

"Plan? Piece?" Natsu scoffed. "What plan? _We_ attacked_ you_; You had no plan."

"But that was a part of my plan. All of it has been a part of my plan all along." The scientist argued.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu growled.

"Everything that has happened has all followed my predictions. From the very second I pulled that trigger, all the way up to this conversation." The scientist smiled.

"That's impossible." Natsu snapped. However, there was something about that smile that told him he was about to be forced to believe it whether he wanted to or not.

"Hurting one of the members of a loyal guild with a team with the strongest bonds, taking out the piece that would create the strongest influence on the strongest pieces, letting those emotions fester.

Kidnapping children, creating monsters, catching the eyes of the fire troupe. Creating such a powerful evil that only an army could defeat, making the fire troupe heroes, then having them defeats my underlings to create fame and support of the people.

Creating a job at the right point of your emotions to bring team Natsu back to the town covered in fire troupe logos everywhere, leading Erza, infamous for her peculiar shopping habits to buy t-shirts with the troupe emblems for later.

Your meeting with the nosiest member of all; the whippet. Your emotions, anger, pushed by the old lady Charlotte's story.

Catching the attention of the notorious man-hater, Fira. Crossing paths with the Fire troupe, temporarily under Fira's control. Her undying loyalty to her leader, causing her to attack your entire team and hold them captive. The protective instinct of threat towards her leader's position and authority forcing you and fire troupe's leader to meet.

Your infamous stubbornness to uphold Fairy Tail's name and complete you mission forcing you to reject her offer, forcing her to march on early in order to protect the dragon slayer souls; a rumor I created. Did you think Natsu-sama was able to get across that battle field so easily because of her strength and skill? Oh no; It's because I allowed her to do so. He knew you would head straight for the castle leaving who in charge? That's right, her most trusted second in command.

You were able to escape out of her conditioned barrier with the shirts Erza had previously loaded. Mana, concerned for her leader, leaving an aid to guide you of some kind, a horse most presumably.

After your escape, you would arrive approximately when Natsu-sama was almost completely through enemy lines. Your hot=headed infatuation with her lead you and your blue feline companion to head after her.

Your team, lead by the spy I had purposeful given to the Fire troupe for capture, would then lead you to rendezvous with Fira and supply help. Erza, being the stronger fighter, would be sent to back up the right flank in the loosing fight. Gray would help the left, crossing paths with the priest, Valentine, Fira's Fiancé.

Later Venus was to intercept Mana and Carla for leverage against Fira. Fira, as noble as she is, would allow the others to escape and be killed by Venus.

Wendy would head to Erza, knowing she was being targeted. Mana would head to Gray.

Wendy and Carla would be intercepted and dealt with, later followed by Erza after Saturn's awakening.

Mana, having reported the broken card found in the tent, would lead Valentine and Gray and Mana to separate from the army and head in pursuit of the castle for revenge.

Natsu would defeat Uranus and Neptune and carry on through the house. A whole would open up straight to the underground tunnels. Natsu, enticed by Natsu-sama's scent would follow. They would find Mercury, disguised as the cryogenic frozen Lucy. They would help her escape.

Gray, Valentine, and Mana would find the broken machine and follow, confused by the computerized message and become contaminated by the water, except for the speed child.

You were to be betrayed by Lucy, a.k.a Mercury, who manipulates your memories, thinking you've been stabbed and collapsing from the pain. The feline has a delayed capture until he runs into the ice mage, lowering his guard.

At that point, Venus takes the opportunity to incapacitate Gray while Mercury catches the cat and bring you here. Meanwhile, Venus takes Valentine and Gray, and Mana escapes.

This brings us to here where you found out the truth and tried to attack me, to which Saturn intercepts."

"No way…" Natsu uttered in shock. He had recited and explained everything, even the things he could even possibly know. Was it even possible to predict something so complex to the exact detail? Natsu was beginning to have a harder time saying 'no.'.

"Yes way." An old familiar voice caught his ear. Natsu looked up, meeting two black beady eyes on a head with long hair that never seemed to end.

"Madam Charlotte?" Natsu grumbled.

"Wrong!" Mercury buzzed, his body shifting back into his own.

"Guess who now! He continued, shaping his body to be round and a little shorter, with big hairy arms displaying a flaming tattoo with a toothy grin and hearty laugh.

"Mr. Tanaka too…" Natsu grumbled in disappointment. It was mostly at himself, scolding himself for not realizing sooner.

"You wanted to find Madame Charlotte's lost son?" Mr. Tanaka grinned with Mercury's sadistic smile. "Well here he is." Wide hairy arms opened wide gesturing to his body. "The real one that is. I used the memories of these two in order to perfectly create my illusion."

"Why are you doing this?" Natsu exclaimed with frustration. Dark curly hair grew back into short gold hair all across his body, the half-cat appearing again by the scientist's side. The scientist looked to the dragon slayer and gave patient thought on how to best explain it.

"Do you know how many people died from both our sides on that field?" He asked, deciding a question would be most appropriate to describe his reasoning. "Almost a thousand; most of which were on my side. The monsters I had created are nowhere close to my true aim; to create synthetic life. My present creations are only recycled lives. My intention is to be able to scientifically create a life. And I have developed a method how. Using the glorified souls of those who died in battle, the purist kind of soul, I can power a machine to do this."

"So that's why you need this fight; to create the right conditions to harvest those souls." Natsu hissed, feeling sick to the pit of his stomach at the thought.

"They believed they were fighting to protect something, and those kinds of souls are beautiful." The scientist sighed.

"What did you possibly offer the people that died in the battle for you, in order to be that pure?" Natsu snidely remarked, bearing his dragon slayer canines freely.

"I told them of a new world with new life." The scientist answered. "It was just a little fantastical thing, but humans don't need to be told much to have hope."

"What does creating fake lives do for you or anyone else in this world?" Natsu asked, finding himself at a loss for an answer.

"I'm purely going it for the name of science," The man shrugged, rising out of his leather black seat. Mercury took the opportunity to and slid into it, earning a glare from Venus, and from what he could tell through the feet on his back, Saturn as well. Mercury just grinned, snuggling into the seat with a satisfied purr.

"Everyone else?" The scientist continued. "I have no idea; they could be reborn again in a new living body, be young again or have the child they could never have. Something like that; Humans are greedy creatures after all."

The scientist gestured to the black cat and the right metal door. Black paws were already on the broken door by the time Natsu looked over, disappearing from the chair's side faster than a second. They tore the door down like it was paper, revealing an even more shocking sight.

A large bronze, mechanical device fixed against the wall at the height and width of nearly the entire town of Magnolia. Onyx eyes stared up in horror at the intricate circle plates shrinking in size the further down it went. It shrunk all the way down and over a fine needle, hovering over a pool of green sparkling liquid. Two black bars with electric transponders hovered over the pool edges.

"What the-"Natsu gulped, almost speechlessly looking up at its enormous size.

"You said you were looking for the 'Earl' right?" The scientist gestured up to the contraception. "This is it."

"That's the 'Earl'?" Natsu uttered. All his fingers and toes went numb, the blood pulling itself in, trying to get away as far as it could. Everything in his mind screamed danger, yet his heart didn't even have the energy to pulse.

In the shadow of its looming evil mechanics, Natsu could barely whisper a breath.

"A bath full of cells…" The scientist began to explain, climbing the few steps up to the pool of bubbling water. An empty hand gestured to it. "…stimulated with electric jolts to divide he cells while simultaneously transferring souls into the forming embryos."

"I don't understand what you're saying…" Natsu growled in a deep threatening voice. Pink air fell over the dragon slayer's face, shadowing his dark eyes from view. Canines protruded from his tightly clenched jaw. Fingers curled up into fists, turning his knuckles white. "But I won't let you take those souls!" Natsu roared, flames exploding from his body.

Saturn leapt backwards, missing the flame by a fingers breath. The hot disks sealing Natsu to the ground evaporated into the air, setting the dragon slayer free. Before anyone could take a breath, Natsu was gone.

Feet crashed angst the thundering earth. Black charred concrete was left in his wake, showing the only sign as he tore through the distance in a flash. Flames, fuelled with rage, flickered to dust at the speed only to relight again a moment later. No one could catch him; no one could stop him from showing the scientist what he truly thought of his plan. No one. Except one.

A bar of metal was already wrapped around his waist before he could notice, marking the end.

Skin hit concrete with bone shattering force. Rocks spat up in rubble, cracks shooting out of the ground in a wall shaking crater. In the centre, was the semi-conscious body of the pink-haired dragon slayer, unable to lift a finger.

Two boots stood on the concrete next to his vision. Onyx eyes slowly crawled up to the black trousers hanging over the dark shoes, all the way up his gold tinted skin, covered in black circular tattoos.

Creamy warm eyes stared down at him, not with the anger her first displayed in his voice, but with pity and only very slight, guilt. Pity he could understand, but why would he feel guilty?

A sharp clatter of metal awoke the dragon slayer to his surroundings. Metal loops began to turn in alternating directions, folding and moving over each other, contracting and expanding around the core. A buzzing hum vibrated through the air as the electric rods below the pool prepared for the incoming shock of electricity.

Screens suddenly appeared midair with a big white bar, slowly filling up with a red line. Words written in white read:

_'0 souls gathered'_

Before Natsu had a chance to wonder, glowing balls of light began appearing form the walls. They were like little orbs of white incandescent light moving through the earth light it was water, surrounding the underground warehouse. The zero on the screen disappeared with a rapid increase of fluttering numbers 1 to 10 to 20 in a matter of seconds. The orbs got suck in through the top like a sieve, raising the number one soul at the time.

"What have you done?" Natsu hissed. Cut lips pulled back in a blood stained snarl.

"Do you know why they call me the sun?" The scientist said, not turning from his screen, just passing eighty. "I will lead the world into a brighter future of science." He answered himself, turning towards the dragon slayer. Natsu said nothing, struggling to grasp the concept of the souls flying past him.

"I will now also pass light onto you." The scientist said, catching the slayer's attention. "You can think of it as my thank you gift for bringing my plan to completion." A horrible bitter taste, aside from the taste of blood, was left on Natsu's tongue, trying to swallow the disgusting words he was just fed.

"What light would I want from someone like you?" Natsu growled.

A soft gentle and pitiful smile sat on the man's lips, pushing his glasses further into his face. "You asked me a question earlier. I will answer it for you." The scientist proposed, pacing across the room with Venus at his heels.

There had been many questions the slayer had asked through the endurance of their conversation, and Natsu could be sure which one he was referring to.

Dark eyes follow the man closely, turning his aching neck. A startled gasp chocked in his throat when he saw what the man was heading to; the metal frame.

Because of the angle of the chair, Natsu hadn't been able to see what exactly was on the frame behind the black chair. However, he had moved a long distance passed it, and the view had become clear.

Long salmon-pink hair fell down in wavy curves over the bruised, beaten and pale body. Cut. Bleeding arms and legs were strung to each corner of the frame. Long silver chains ran from the chair up and around her body; one around the neck and one over her chest; one pull of the chains and excruciating pain would be dealt.

"Natsu-sama…"

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**Next Monday; Chapter 13; The Loyal  
**

** As hidden loyalties are put to the test, the truths masked in lies begin to come to light at a deadly cost.**

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

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**-A-ccentric**


	13. The Loyal

Destiny's Demise   
Chapter 13: The Loyal

"Natsu-sama..." Natsu murmured in surprise, struggling to find any other words to say.

The scientist closed in, he nodding his chin towards the brown-speckled cat in his seat. With obvious reluctance, the cat slunk out of the comfort of the chair, heading towards the girl. When the brown-haired man finally stood beside the cat, haven beaten him to her first, Mercury began to seem a lot taller than before. The scientist wasn't exactly small, but compared to his creations, he was emphasizing their height; not that the glassed man seemed to mind. Mercury wasn't very tall compared to Saturn and Venus who were either giants or really tall humans. The cat was about the same height as the full grown dragon slayer.

Claws grabbed a handful of pink hair and yanked it back. Natsu-sama's face turned into view, slowly returning to consciousness. Deep brown eyes snapped onto the scientist and instantly scowled.

"Good morning, sunshine." Mercury purred, to which Natsu-sama responded with a vicious hiss of her own.

The angry and irritated face took a sudden turn of surprise and then into fear just as her eyes met the dragon slayers.

"Natsu?" Natsu-sama uttered. It quickly turned into a shout as the reality set it. "You idiot!" She screamed, startling the cat so much he leapt back. Pink messy hair fell against her face in wild, dangerous curls. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come!"

Natsu was just as surprised as Mercury, finding himself unable to say anything back. Instead, the scientist intervened.

"Good. I'm glad you're so well acquainted with each other." The scientist announced, cheerfully rubbing his palms together. "However, I do believe your bond may change with what I know."

Dark eyes snapped onto the messy-haired man faster than light. She looked angry, furious, scared, and upset all at the same time, staring into the man's twinkling smile. "You knew." She hissed. "You knew all along!" Her voice raised into almost a scream.

An innocently perplexed expression crossed his face with slight shock. "Oh dear," he said pitifully. "The truth is I do not know." He said, much to Natsu-sama's surprise. "I have a hypothesis; however, it would be wrong for a scientist to state a claim to which he has no evidence to. And I do intent to secure my knowledge."

"Like I'll ever tell you!" Natsu-sama snapped, rattling her steel chains.

"I don't need to have you tell me." The scientist shrugged. "I have my own tools to find out your secret." Hand gestured to the golden half-cat back over from his humiliated perch. The empty hand became full in the blind of an eye, holding a long red dagger. "They say red is the color of destiny. Shall we find out yours?" He asked. IT was obviously rhetorical when the knife stuck straight through her hand.

Natsu jolted with the girl's sharp scream of pain. Before he could break free again, Saturn placed himself on Natsu's back; forcing what little strength he had back down. It didn't stop him from struggling, despite it being a futile effort.

Tension ran up from the tip of Saturn's hat all the way down to his boots and Natsu. Why was he so tense?

Venus and Mercury both watched on stoically, not even moving an inch.

A short hiss of pain through the fire troupe leader's mouth came as the scientist withdrew the blade. Dark red blood ran down the surface of the blade, being carefully passed into the feline's hands. Gold fur hands lifted the blade to his sand-paper tongue, licking it across the surface of the metal, slowly closing his eyes.

"Finally, I'll learn your secret, Natsu_-sama_." The scientist gave a satisfied smile, moving a strand of hair out of her face. She didn't move as he did it, but her aura was already completely portraying the rage she felt. "I'm glad the dragon slayer you wanted to protect so much, can hear it too."

It was obvious that what he said struck the mage so hard with so much force that everyone in the room felt it. A wave burst from around her, turning the temperature a few degrees lower.

Dark eyes glared at the dragon slayer with so much guilt and fear it almost overwhelmed him. A gasp cut her short, jumping to the speckled cat. A bright, euphoric grin lit on his lips. Pale eyes flickered open, flashing over to Natsu-sama and then to the dragon slayer with a look of solid satisfaction.

Natsu-sama froze. He heart thudded in panic. Dry tears swelled in her eyes. It was all over…

"If it isn't-" he began, but was cut short by a high pitched scream.

"No!" Natsu-sama screamed at the top of her lungs. But it was not to stop the cat from talking; it was to Venus and his black paw, plunged into the half-cat's chest.

Natsu stared in utter shock. Black paws pulled themselves from his chest, holding a heart in his hand. It rolled off his claws, landing on the empty corpse. His arm fell back to his side, his body falling still. Sadness, overwhelming grief and pain took over the girl in a moment of pure silence.

The scientist only turned, looking up to the face of the emotionless black cat. "So you were a spy, Venus."

_Meanwhile elsewhere…_

A soft monotonous tick echoed in the dull, droning darkness. Deep humming fell into a soft background noise. It felt cool and damp, water beading on her warm skin. Creaking metal resounded from somewhere far away, the humming turning into mumbling.

Dark black eyes cracked open, staring into a mix of colors blurred into an image around her. Sick throbbing pulsed in her constricted chest. Fast blinking over and over again strained her surroundings into clarity.

Grey stone walls surrounded her on three sides with a metal gate and bars as her fourth. The tick she'd heard earlier was the drip of water condensing on the metal handle outside her cell, trickling onto the stone floor. Opened chained cuffs laid by the ground at her feet. She heard the jingle of keys and drowsily followed the sound. Clasps chained to her ankles popped undone.

A large pair of handles held the keys, gently removing the metal from her foot but with an also included haste. Dark eyes trailed up the black cuff sleeves, up to the tailored suit shoulders. The further they moved up, the clearer the mumbling became. Once she reached the face, she realized he was calling her name.

"Erza?" he called, looking at her with slight concern, trying to coax her to wake. But Erza felt she couldn't stop dreaming. IT was impossible…it couldn't be him. Despite the calling of her name, he already had all her attention. The shock of his face had definitely woke her up.

With her eyes on his, he gave a relieved sigh. "I've come to get you out." He said, with the voice that was so familiar to her.

Shock stunned the red-haired mage into a shell, only letting a small mutter break through. "You're…"

He only smiled happily and said. "It's been a while, Erza."

"So you're a spy, Venus." The scientist sighed, readjusting his glasses. Venus stayed completely still, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

It was probably because he didn't trust himself to not look at his true master. Black-brown eyes were swirling in turmoil; grief, sadness, shame, guilt and disappointment. Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall, hanging her head instead. Pink waves fell over her face like a veil.

Venus looked ashamed at himself, and guilty, staring at the empty corpse on the floor. However, there was also resolve on his face, determined to accept everything he had done, and anything that was about to be done to him. There was no regret on his face, happily signing his death with to protect his master's secret.

"Idiot!" Natsu suddenly snapped, breaking the heavy coat of silence. Every face turned towards him in surprise. Anger boiled on the dragon slayer's face, unable to contain the fury he felt. Venus didn't look, didn't move and didn't even breathe. "No secret is worth risking your life for!" Natsu barked.

"Risk?" The scientist repeated with surprise. Natsu looked to him, unsure by what he meant. Like any scientist, he quickly explained himself. "There is no risk about it." He added. Through the words seem relieving the tone couldn't be anymore different. "His death is certain." He finally said.

Dust and grit spat into the dragon slayer's face; Saturn was gone.

Onyx eyes jumped to where the black cat stood. Saturn stood behind him, touching him gently on the shoulder, his other hand holding a ecliptic blade to his neck.

"Oi!" Natsu roared in anger. He stare don as Venus stood still, even as the disk mage brought back his arm.

A small smile crossed his whiskered lips. "If it is to protect my lady from pain, I will protect her; spread, bullet, or secret. I will protect her." He said.

Protecting her in the future then became impossible with the roll of his head.

Silence swallowed the room whole. Two pairs of dark eyes stared at the black corpse, laying beside its own prey. Only blood from the chest of the half-cat poured from his chest. Venus' head was clotted with heat, sealing his arteries and veins. Saturn stood over the body, holding the stiff circular blade. The hunter became the hunted. The predator became the prey. The living became the dead.

"Well, that was boring." The scientist grumbled. Emotionless glasses looked down on the body of fur like it was nothing other than road-kill. "It seems your secret will be kept for now. Both an unfortunate case for the dragon slayer and I." The scientist shrugged.

Even though Venus was a spy, even though he fought against them, Natsu found it unforgivable. "You bas-"Natsu began. His anger-filled roar was drowned quickly by the reverberating siren on the computer.

Slowly, the scientist turned, along with the other eyes that had momentarily flickered to Natsu, towards the screen. White letters flashed red:

_'999 souls gathered'_

"Do you remember what I said earlier?" The scientist asked with a slow, calm voice, creeping into something Natsu wasn't sure he wouldn't like. Everyone remained silent. "I said almost a thousand people had lost their lives on that field. _Almost_."

"997." Natsu-sama growled. A flash of emotion passed over her eyes, falling onto the floor on the ground.

"Close darling." The scientist said, turning on his heels. Black, long-pointed boots took several steps away from his computer, dropping his eyes on Natsu-sama. For a moment, they flickered to the bodies with an insinuating smile. "998."

"But-" She began, quickly cut off by the scientist's approach. Glasses even at a close range, shielded his eyes from view.

"998 from the battlefield, 1 from Mercury's donation; 999 souls." The scientist elaborated. "Venus' soul is no longer, nor has it presently been inside his body." The scientist continued. His boots paced back over to the two piles on the floor. Mercury's body was passed without an indication of emotion, however slight, on the scientist's face. White fabric sprayed along the floor as he crouched besides the black head. For a few short moments, he evaluated and considered it. Once those moments passed, a hand reached outwards.

Hair was torn from the back of its skull with shocking force.

"What are you doing?" Natsu exclaimed, throwing his fists against the steel disks pinning him down. Scalding burst of pain paralysed his body with pain.

"Venus was very special creation of mine. His human soul was so strong that only one was needed for his body." The scientist explained. Black fur scattered across the floor with the sprinkle of the scientist's hand. Bare pink skin, still fresh was red raw at the harsh treatment of his scalp.

Buried beneath the fur, was a tattoo. Flames drawn in ink on the back of the head, contained a small three; the fire troupe member symbol.

However, that wasn't what he was looking for, he was searching for something deeper. Pale fingers moved over the fire troupe, just grazing the edges. It began to flow, ripple and fade until something entirely new rose to the surface; a magic circle.

"Binding magic from the book of Zeref."The scientist grinned."Dark magic forever keeping a sealing a soul somewhere ever. Never to live again, never to move on, forever bound."

"Ve-"Natsu-sama whimpered, letting her voice drowned out mid-way. A veil of pink fell back over her eyes. A quirk of a smile shivered on the lab-man's coat.

Finally, the blade still hovering in Saturn's hand cracked, crumbling to pieces on the floor. Cold creamy eyes alienated the flecks of broken metal with underlying disgust. "He had a hard neck." Saturn grumbled, looking up from the floor. He refused to look at the body, but rather at the dislocated features of its face with a meticulous glare. Once he finally raised his head to the scientist's face, he hadn't moved an inch from the body and never did.

"So you were unaware of this magic?" The scientist chuckled, wandering over towards the silent pink-haired girl. A slender hand scooped down, sweeping up a long silver chain leading to the frame. Silver links snapped flat with the whip of his arm.

A sharp grunt of pain and surprise broke out the girl's mouth. Her head snapped up at the pull of the chain looping around her neck.

Natsu jumped, staring straight at the girl. Blood began to boil in his veins, but he couldn't turn his eyes away. Silver links slackened, revealing a red mark over the old bruised and blue ones. Some smudges of blood smeared from cuts where the links had bitten into her neck. Pink hair dropped over her face, hanging her head from her shoulders.

Patience was one of the scientist's more obvious traits, waiting calmly for a reaction.

Eventually, her chin slowly rose up. Pink hair fell away from her bruised face. Pink eyebrows pulled through the veil with her long dark lashes. Finally, her dark piercing eyes glared at the scientist with disgust, pulling her lips into a mocking sadistic smile.

"Your ally," The scientist grinned back, relining his glasses just a bit. "After taking extra measures against me, has consequently sealed your fate."

It wasn't there before, but the ruby red knife's handle was in his white grasp. Blood leaked down the blade in his hand, trickling down into a puddle on the floor. Everyone, pale and wide eyed stared in utter shock. The blade the scientist was holding, was plunged into the fire troupe leader's stomach.

"Congratulations, one." The scientist whispered in her cool ear, feeling his hot breaths against her numbing cheeks. "You make 1000."

Darkness almost completely shrouded his vision. Pain swallowed his heart and body. All his existence seemed to scream in agony. Yet, his body couldn't move an inch. Everything that was a part of him was frozen stiff, watching the blade slip free of her body.

Blood slid down the face of the blade, dripping into a soundless puddle against the stone floor. It clattered against the stone floor leaving an echoing ring in his mind.

"Natsu-sama!" Natsu cried. Flames roared up around him like a tidal wave. Whatever energy he had left surged through him. Cracks splintered across the metal ring's surface, disintegrating it into dust.

The explosion of flames vanished into smoke as he slowly clambered to his feet. The burst of energy faded from his body, feet staggering across the broken ground. All his aching muscles and broken bones screamed with pain, but Natsu had long since turned deaf towards himself. All he could see was the girl with long pink hair, dangling from the metal frame.

Tears of red ran over her stomach, down over her thighs, over her ankle chains and into a puddle of crimson beneath her.

As he made his way closer, the scientist stepped out of the way, closing in on the untouched leather chain. It didn't make a sound as he silently slid into his seat, folding two thin hands on his legs. A soft smile passed his lips, watching the pink-hair stumble by.

Fluttering brown eyes slowly opened, looking up at his face. A pang echoed in her slowing heart, staring into the lost darkness of his eyes. Inside them, she could see the girl with the blonde hair, and all the old pain and the new pain collapsing down on top.

"Natsu..." She uttered, her eyes dropping away. A flash passed the slayer's face for a split second, jumping to the silver chains. His slow, stiff heart beat suddenly began to hammer in his chest. Fear and panic jolted adrenalin through his veins.

Fists lunged forwards, tearing the chains from the frame in an instant. Pink hair spilled over his shoulder, the ends dyed in blood. Weak limbs fell against his chest.

Under her weight, Natsu's weakened body struggled, knocking his knees forwards they both collapsed against the stone floor.

Natsu-sama's head laid against the torn fabric on the dragon slayer's legs. It was the usual clothes he wore, but it still had the rustic burnt smell lingering within the stitches.

"Natsu-sama?" Natsu whispered, looking down at her.

"Thank you," She sighed softly, reaching a cuffed hand to his face. A black fingerless glove stroked his bruised cheeks with a gentle warmth. Streaks of red smudged from her finger tips against his skin.

"Why are you thinking me?" Natsu exclaimed. Confusion, pain and fear were in turmoil in his face, lost at what he was supposed to do. His hands sat at his sides, too scared to touch her fragile body, as if she matter shatter.

"You've had a hard life, Dragneel." Natsu-sama smiled pitifully. "You've been through so much, lost so many people. I can't tell you how much I wish you didn't have to suffer." Tears welled up in her eyes, brushing a salmon pink spike away from his frozen face. "You're so strong." She whispered. "She told me of that strength, at first I was unsure, but ever since I met you, I knew she was right."

"You're strong too!" Natsu exclaimed. A hand shot up from his side, clasping his fingers around hers. Metal chains silently jingled at the rattle of the cuffs. "You can make it through this! I know it!"

"I don't think I can escape death this time." Natsu-sama chuckled. A cough caught her throat at the end. Blood spilled out her lips over her pale face. Onyx eyes stared down in fear, moving from her lips to her wound. Warmth touched against the skin of his leg, startling his heart. As he looked down, he saw the puddle of blood staining his white clothes in an absorbent crimson.

Finally, his other hand moved, pressing it against her stomach. No matter how much pressure he applied, the red liquid just slipped through his fingers. Colour drained from his skin, feeling a familiar, terrifying pain surged over him like a tidal wave.

"N...no..." Natsu stuttered, staring wide eyes at his hand. Images swallowed his mind. Blood was all over his hands. Rain washed over his frozen cold face. Hot, stinging tears swelled in his dumbfound eyes. The movement of his eyes stopped, stuck in place. "Luce?" Natsu whimpered, holding her blonde body in his eyes. "No...You can't die. Not again!"

Natsu-sama stared up in shock. Darkness clung to the edges of her eyes trying to drag her down. He was seeing her. In his mind, he was watching Lucy die all over again.

"Natsu!" She called, trying to reach him. Onyx eyes looked straight through her, staring into the deep abyss swallowing him. "Natsu!" She cried."

"You can't leave me, Lu-" Natsu whimpered.

"I'm not Lucy!" She snapped with the echoing crack of her hand against his skin. A hot red hand print glowed against his face. Slow dark eyes rolled onto her pale face. Utter shock and surprise stiffened his expressions.

Hot breaths panted in and out of her lungs. Sweat beaded across her white face. Tired blue circles hung under her eyes, her pale hand falling against her chest. She was sat up before collapsing against the slayer's chest.

"Natsu-sama!" Natsu exclaimed, catching her sliding body. A relief but irritated smile shortly pass on her blue lips. A sharp cough of blood spurted out her mouth. "Natsu-sama."

Dark heavy eyes snapped up onto his. A hand snapped against the back of his neck, dragging his face so close to hers. "Don't you dare mistake me for her again!" She growled. "The Lucy you know is dead and you can't afford to think of the past when the present is right here in front of you! You are strong." The harsh strict expression softened on her face. "You need to protect them, dragon slayer. I wanted to keep you out of this but it seems I'm not strong enough. After everything I did to protect you, I still end up relying on you, huh?" she chuckled weakly. The grip on his neck softened, slipping down from his skin. His hands caught hers again, enclosing his fingers around it. "Do what you do best, Natsu;" She whispered, her dark eyelids fluttering closed. "Protect them..."

"I believe in you, Natsu..." She whispered.

A white glowing orb slowly drifted out from her body like a lost little star. It glowed with a beautiful, strong incandescent light. As it felt the tug of the 'Earl' it was dragged through the air like a shooting star. It was swallowed by the machine, turning the red highlighted figures into flashing green words.

'1000 souls gathered.'

Metal burst full speed ahead, moving and swirling around the centre. Electricity shot through the wires, jumping from the rose. Sparks leapt from one transponder to another. Beats of electrical impulses burst from the power square across the pool. Bubbles burst from the liquid, rippling with heat. Parts of it began to solidify and combine into one.

"Just as I thought, "The scientist chuckled. "What a marvellous soul."

All the circle disks suddenly collapsed simultaneously before expanding out at different rates. At the tip of the very fine needle was an ice white incandescent tear. It trickled into the green liquid with a silent 'drip'. The water didn't ripple but instead gravitated towards it. Edges by the pool peeled away like half-set jelly.

Each constriction, creating each drop, occurred every three seconds like a lemon juicer. Glassed eyes watched cheerfully at the process, no matter how slow it was.

As it continued, his eyes drifted to the pink-haired boy, crouched over the corpse of the fire troupe leader.

For a moment, he was silent and unmoving. Falling pink spikes cast a shadow over his eyes, hanging onto her still face.

"You hurt my friends..." Natsu's voice spoke quietly. It fell into a deep threatening tone as his neck slowly craned upwards. "You killed my nakama..." Shadows drew from his face. Eyelids looked down at the hands by his sides; open, palms faced inwards. They flinched as his chin turned towards he man in the black chair. "...all for your plan?"

Fingers jolted into tightly closed fists. Scales rippled out from underneath his skin. Fangs protruded out his clenched jaw. Flames leapt and jumped from his fists with hissing sparks. The foreboding rumble of the ground drowned out the machine. Bare feet turned on the quaking ground, facing the brown-haired man. His lips fell over his clenched teeth, his eyelids flickering fully open.

Dark black eyes snapped on the man in the chair. All his emotions warped into a single glare. Intense stone anger dropped the temperature of the room so low, breaths became visible clouds of fog. The anger was different from before; it was calm, controlled fury, directed solely at the scientist. It was the type that wouldn't stop no matter what or who got in the way.

"I'll destroy you."

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 14: The Ally**

** When darkness begins to fall around the dragon slayer, more are lost, but unlikely ally's come to lend strength.**

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	14. The Ally

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 14: The Ally

"I'll destroy you." Natsu vowed calmly. Burning red flames exploded from his body, bigger and faster than before. They were immense, dense and powerful. They blundered up from his fists, cloaking his face in rippling shadows. Deep red eyes pierced the darkness.

No flames touched the silent fire troupe leader's body, despite the proximity.

A blast of heat charged the ice cold temperature into the boiling degrees. Flames flew through the air like a meteor breaking through the atmosphere. Except it wasn't randomly flying, it was heading for the man n the lab coat.

The scientist watched as time slowed down for him. His dark brown hair came loose around his shoulders, it's many tangled strands falling down in silk straight threads. Slender pale fingers pinched the edges of his glasses, calmly removing them from his face.

His eyes remained closed as time caught up.

Flames swallowed the slayer's right hand, electricity clad around his left. Two dragon fists collided together with an intense roar. "LIGHTENING FLAME DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!" Electric flames engulfed the man within a moment of silence.

A roaring explosion burst outwards with a terrifying cry, shattering the silence.

In front of the burning aftermath, Natsu dropped down to the ground, collapsing onto one knee. Hot heavy breaths fell in and out of his aching lungs. Scales faded back into the dull dirt brown of his tanned skin.

In reality, his body was exhausted. After having the IV fluid drain him of his first magic reserve, he was only left with his second origin. Although even that power had substantially decreased. Despite his will, his body was struggling to keep up with him,. But that was okay; it was all over. Or so he thought.

A sharp white light cut through the flames. A hiss came from the slayer's lips, throwing an arm across his face to protect his eyes from the blinding light. Onyx irises jumped to the ground to escape the burning, catching the sight of two long shapes cloaked in pitch black shadows. His own fire created a dull translucent shadow in comparison to it's brightness. Shivers skated down his spine as he slowly dared to remove his hand. Just as he did, a scorching heat wave crashed into his ribs, sending his body hurtling backwards.

The slayer was thrown through the air, desperately trying to grip his orientation. The swirling through the air made it almost impossible to tell which direction was which. Up could be down, right could be left, forwards could be backwards.

In a final attempt, he thrust his leg forwards. A hard surface shoved him backwards, knocking his body out of its spin back to the Earth. His bare feet slapped against the concrete floor, staggering several steps back with the force of his momentum.

Dark eyes snapped upwards in front of him. The sight of the source set his whole body in stone.

Stood perfectly polished in ice white scales, clad in a dense realm of flames, was the scientist. Long brown hair was dyed a burning red, flying up in the air like anti-gravity. All silver eyes stared outwards like a shivering fog. Long heavily muscled limbs faded from hot silver to burning amber to a warm red.

"...dragon slayer?" Natsu uttered in disbelief.

A sharp grin lit up the man's face, revealing glowing white canines. "There's something about making plans that you might not be familiar with fire dragons." The scientist chuckled, moving amongst the broken charred ground.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of the pink-haired boy. Somehow, the entirety of his body was glowing, burning the pink-haired boy's skin. The tall, white scaled body towered over the fire dragon slayer with over a foot of height on him. Immersed silver contracted into the small pupils staring down at him with a burning glare. "Always have plan B." He finished.

A silver hand struck the fire dragon slayer's face. Claws dug into his cheeks, beads of blood running over his skin. With the slightest ease, he lifted his arm up, dragging the slayer up and off his solid ground. Natsu tried to lift his hand but couldn't find the energy with in him, his body to battered and beaten to do anything but hopelessly stare through the red fingers dipped in blood.

"Dragon slayer art..." the scientist whispered. "Fis-" It was cut off by the sharp whistle of metal and the slice of skin.

Fingers broke free from Natsu's face, dropping his limp body to the ground. A gasp of air choked out his lungs as his back hit the floor. The sound of something falling close beside him made his body jerk up with painful consequences. Natsu grunted at the ache of his muscles, looking down at whatever had fallen.

Dark pupils shrunk in shock, looking down at the chunk of silver scales besides him; the scientist's right hand.

Disbelieving eyes leapt in surprise from the lost limb, straight back to the man standing above him. His cool, unfazed face looked calmly at the gaping wound just passed the elbow. Blood clotted at the singed ends of the vessels exposed by the wound; a clean and tidy cut without a single drop of blood spilt.

Faint whispers of the travelling blade cut off behind the back of the dragon slayer. Natsu thrust his aching body up, throwing his chin over his shoulder to the source of the blade.

Over his shoulder, he saw the blade crumble to pieces in a grey-coloured hand. The palms stayed open with small flecks of metal sat in them. Creamy eyes looked down at the metal for a moment in thought.

Eventually, they turned towards the fire dragon slayer. Their eyes met and the long distance meant nothing. Waves of smothered emotions washed against the pink-haired boy's chest with overwhelming pressure; anger, grief, pride, sorrow and control. Those eyes reminded him of another; Venus.

The revelation hit him with shock for a second time.

"So you're a spy too." The scientist uttered with an irritated growl.

A calm soft sigh came from Saturn's mouth, turning towards the two dragon slayers. Metal fell against the empty floor besides the golden cat's lonesome body.

"_'You are strong' _was what my master told you." Saturn said softly, turning to the dragon slayer. All the emotions openly shown on his face made everything he had witnessed before on the man's grey face seem empty and fake. "Before I came here, my master told me the same thing. She believed in me. But she wouldn't allow me to save her. The words she said to you dragon slayer, we also words to me. 'Protect them' was a message from her to me." For a moment, Saturn paused, looking down at his hands. After that moment passed, they turned back up to the slayer, completely ignoring the silver slayer, but still aware of his presence. "She was telling me to protect you, dragon slayer."

Natsu stared in shock at the man. Her last words echoed in his mind, as if she was saying them all over again. It all began to make sense. A horrible sickening pain swallowed his heart, forming a lump in his throat.

"I will fulfil my Maaster's ding wish," Saturn vowed, tearing a tattoo free from his skin. The metal disks solidified in to both his hands.

"That conniving little girl!" The scientist grumbled, raking his right hand down his face. "She did something unpredictable..."

"You!" Natsu exclaimed, looking at the hand and the empty space on the floor.

"I'll have to wipe out all outliers from my research." The man smiled. "Hey, fire slayer." The scientist grinned, looking down through his fingers with a sadistic smile. It had its own clinical sense of bloodlust oozing from that smile, sending shivers down Natsu's spine. He didn't want to know what he would say next. "Shall I show you what you missed?" He asked.

"Wha-" Before Natsu could properly respond, he was gone. Dread pounded through his body, his eyes instinctively flashing back towards the grey-skinned man.

Red claws clung around his face, frozen with emotion that hadn't had time to change to fear. There wasn't even enough time for a breath.

"Dragon Slayer Art: Fusion!" The scientist smiled. A burst of pure white flames exploded from his hands, swallowing Saturn's body in a second.

"NO!" Natsu roared. It was already too late.

The white flames dissolved into the air, leaving not even ash, behind.

Onyx eyes stared in disbelief at the once was occupied space. "He's...gone?" Natsu uttered.

"Finally." The scientist sighed in relief.

"What did you do to him?" Natsu roared, launching to his feet. Exhaustion hauled him down again to his knees. Despite it, the slayer never released his enraged glare.

"I couldn't have another soul released at such a proximity to my machine. So I increased his body temperature to that of a star." The scientist explained, unaffected by Natsu's gaze. "I fused all the elements in his body into oxygen."

"I said...WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!" Natsu snapped.

"In other words, I turned him into air." The scientist shrugged.

All the anger crept onto Natsu's face again. "You-" Natsu hissed, only to be interrupted once more.

"Haven't I seen that face a lot today?" The scientist cooed, brushing a hand thoughtfully across his chin.

"How dare-" Natsu began to growl. His voice fell short with the scientist flickering inches before him. Enveloping silver eyes looked down on him with a flat, unimpressed smile.

"You have been so useful to me, dragon slayer. Now, you are no longer needed." Flames began to flicker around the man's red claw fists. "A new age of life is beginning and I will have your demise as the starting point." His red talons reached through the air towards the scratched slayer's face bubbling with rage.

"CLAWS OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" Natsu yelled. Flames burst from his feet, launching out of the way; a futile effort.

Mid-air Natsu was easily caught up by the white slayer. There was no time to move as the hand lunged for his body. Red flames leapt around the pink mage in a desperate attempt to shield himself. Red claws cut through it with ease, smothered his attempt at protection. It didn't work; he was going to die.

"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!" A voice cried. Ice bloomed up in front of the slayer's faces. White scales crashed against the ice, blown back by the sudden wall. Natsu shot past, his eyes still lingering on it in surprise. His shoulder suddenly collided with the concrete, sending the fire slayer tumbling across the floor.

When he finally came to a stop, his skin scraped red raw by the ground, his shoulder most likely dislocated, he met a pair of slim polished black shoes. All his attention leapt back to the ice in delayed response.

A tall half-naked man stood on his right several feet from where the dragon slayer landed. Short black hair ruffled in the faint draft, a fist fit firmly into his palm.

"FOUR OF A KIND!" Another voice roared. Two beams of black and red drove through the ground. They clashed against the white scales of the dragon slayer with tremendous force, throwing him back away from the ice shield.

"ROAR OF THE AIR DRAGON!" Tunnels of turbulent air currents drove through the room, sending the scientists body slamming against the steel, half-melted plate that previously pinned Natsu.

"MIKO MAGIC: RIN, TOH, SHA, KAI, RETSU." Golden threads of light wrapped like a snake over the scientist's body, binding him ot the table. They buried through his scales, sealing his dragon slayer form.

"CARDS OF ARCANA: HERE THY CALL!" A white binding square of light sliced into the concrete at his feet with ease. "CARD OF JUDGEMENT: BARRIER!"

Walls erected like translucent glass cut through the air, bending around the edges until the dome barrier was complete.

Dark eyes stared at the figures; Gray, Erza, Wendy, Fira and he smiled in recognition. He hadn't known where they had gone, but he was relieved to see them. There was also a man he didn't know with golden hair and arms wrapped as tight as possible around the fire-haired woman. All of them wore untarnished fire troupe cloaks; except for Gray who had already stripped his half-off.

"Looks like we made it just in time for you, Natsu." A voice sighed in relief from behind him. Onyx eyes flashed back to the black shoes from where he crouched. Slim black trousers rose up his tall legs, to his white shirt and red tie over his broad chest, a matching black blazer rested on his shoulders. Deep orange hair just grazed the edges of his collar.

"Loki!" Natsu choked in disbelief.

"Hey, Natsu." Loki smiled softly, peering through his blue tinted glasses.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu exclaimed, practically throwing himself to his feet. He staggered for a moment, shook by his exhaustion.

"I'm fulfilling a promise for my master." Loki replied, showing a soft expression on his face. Natsu immediately jumped at Loki's response.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked, feeling his heart throb. Lucy's keys had disappeared along with her three years ago, and they hadn't seen the spirits elsewhere either. Rumours around the golden celestial keys also stopped dead.

For a short second, a flash of sad pain darted across his face. It was quickly replaced by a mask of guilt. "No," he said softly, looking away into the distance. Natsu fell silent and Loki watched the hope dwindle into despair on his face.

"My Master goes by the name, Natsu-sama." Loki elaborated, turning back to the dragon slayer. The lion spirit jumped at the sudden change of emotion on the pink-haired boy's face; grief, guilt, anger and sorrow. It was all Loki needed to know. It wasn't like he couldn't guess. Even through the connection to their spirit master was chilled outside of the gate, it didn't mean they couldn't sense when their connection was broken. The only reason he was still around was because Natsu-sama made them learn to rely on their own magic if her's ever shut off.

"I see," Loki muttered, all his emotions dissolving behind the mask.

"Loki, I-" Natsu began.

"It's not your fault Natsu," Loki interrupted, turning his face quickly on him. A gentle hand set on the older dragon slayer's shoulder. Natsu had grown so much that the lion had to reach a little bit to touch him. Eyes that were probably full of pain and anger were locked away behind the blue glass.

"So you're the lion spirit, I assume." The scientist's voice bellowed across the room. "And I'm guessing the other three behind you were her's as well.

Natsu hadn't notice them. But behind the lion spirit, also stood three more celestial allies; Aries, Taraus and Virgo.

"How are you all here?" Natsu exclaimed, vaulting from to his feet. Even without looking at their faces, he already knew. Natsu-sama who was so strong, even handling Lucy's celestial magic, hadn't been able to fight back. She was chained weak and beaten, but she still shouldn't have been caught in the first place. But she had been; she'd used up all her energy opening the four celestial gates.

Virgo stepped forwards. "Natsu-sama brought us through so we could break out Erza and everyone from the place Venus had brought them so they wouldn't be killed by the planets." Virgo's face was neutral, but her eyes were cold with the news of her master's death.

"Natsu," Erza called, running quickly to his side. "Where's Saturn?"

The slayer shook his head; he felt as though all he could do was pass on the bad news.

Erza sighed, raking a hand through her filthy hair. "He managed to kill Mars – one of the planets. I had already breathed in a lot of dust, if he hadn't interrupted her, I would be dead by now." She explained.

A looming black shadow appeared next to her, radiating a voice everyone knew quite well. "Luckily, Venus has the power of illusion. I could only get close to Erza but of the shock of the power he 'created' with his magic." Venus stepped forwards out of the dark, illuminating his sharp green eyes.

"Why is all of this happening?" Natsu suddenly roared in frustration. All the information they had thrown at him weighed too heavily on his mind, unable to take it all in at once.

"You'll find out soon." Loki spoke, using a suspiciously calm tone, his eyes set on the slayer's face with a calculating gaze.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked wearily, taking a small step backwards. It was practically possible to see the cog wheels turning inside of the ginger cat's mind. Natsu just worried where they were going to bring him to.

"She's taking too long." Venus said to him, realising what was going on in his mind before anyone else.

"But- But she-" Aries tried to interrupt, being the third to catch on.

Virgo must have realised too, pushing to finish Aries statement. "She said she didn't want him involved."

"Wait, who are you talking about?" Natsu tried to intervene due to his confusion, but was brushed off by the spirits.

"What are you" Erza moved forwards, but it was too late and they had decided everything. They had ended up at a place that Natsu could only dread.

"Sorry Natsu." Loki apologised moving up to him. A sad smiled pulled on his lips at the same point where Natsu noticed Venus had disappeared. "Just tell her not to hate me, okay?"

Dark eyes searched his face in conclusion, half trying to pinpoint the location of the overgrown cat. "What do you-"

Before he could say anymore, black paws clamp around his neck. All he heard was a snap, and everything went dark.

Everyone stood frozen in shock. Their eyes set in stone at the scene before them. Hearts stopped in a pure moment of silence.

They watched as the white glowing orb passed out of the pink-haired boy's limp body, and floated to the sky. It patiently bobbed there for a moment like a fishing float on water. A current snatched it from the air and dragged straight towards the Earl where it was devoured in a fraction of a second.

Black paws unwound from the dragon slayer's neck, letting his lifeless body fall.

Scarlet hair moved in a flash, catching the body in her arms before it hit the ground. "W...What did you do?" Erza growled, searching Natsu's face for any signs of life. She tried to wake him up, but Natsu wouldn't respond. No breath came from his lips. There was no rise or fall of his chest. No pulse in his veins.

Natsu was dead.

"He's...he's dead." The scarlet mage whispered –the only level of sound she could squeeze out.

"ICE MAKE!" Gray reacted almost instantly. Shock consumed him at first, but it all seemed to settle into rage. Everything blurred together in a red haze, only the body his rival and the black cat seemed to stay in focus.

"GRAY STOP!" Loki shouted, immediately placing himself between the ice mage and the cat. Gray's eyes widened in rage, turning on the ginger cat.

"GET OUT MY WAY LOKI!" Gray boomed at the top of his lungs, burning with bloodlust. "HE JUST-" The words suddenly caught with a startled cough in his throat, the ice mage unable to make them come out.

In the end, the words were shouted anyway. But it wasn't by Gray.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" The scientist almost screamed.

A smile pulled on the black cat's lips. A raised eyebrow pulled over the cat's eye, turning his face on the scientist with an almost triumphant expression. "You thought we didn't know?" He purred. "I saw through it and it was confirmed by your attack on Saturn; you can't have anyone else die so close to the Earl, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Fira exclaimed, slowly moving out of her cracked shell, her emerald eyes searching Venus' face, desperately trying to understand why her leader had died.

"If anyone we to die so close to the machine, its paranormal force would be too strong and their soul would be pulled in." Venus explained. "Despite its size, it really is such a fragile machine. I wonder what one soul too many would do?"

"YOU LITTLE RAT!" The scientist hissed. White flames erupted from his body in a fit of anger. The metal and the seals all melted in a blinding flash of white, setting the dragon slayer free.

"I am the dragon slayer of the sun, and I will use this power to punish you for interrupting my plans!" The scientist growled. Cracks burst from the ground with each light step he took.

"VENUS!" Fira snapped, disregarding the scientist. "Explain!"

"No time." Venus snapped back, looking at the approaching force with weary. "I'll let _her_ do the talking later."

"Her? Natsu-sama?" Fira exclaimed in surprise and disbelief with a little twinge of hope.

"Just believe in her. She and the dragon slayer will figure it out." Venus responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Venus." Fira replied, moving to his side, facing the enraged ball of ice white flames. Despite what she said, a hopeful smile tweaked at the girl's lips. "But I can't believe that Natsu-sama could ever be killed." All the mages lined up by their sides, taking up arms against the approaching enemy. "So I guess I'll just have to believe in him as well. I'll never give up hope on Natsu-sama."

A small twitch of Venus' lips told her that he thought she couldn't have said it better. "Alright," Venus said, drawing his sharp, menacing talons out. "Our last order from out leader; hold him off for as long as you can!" Venus shouted.

"YES SIR!" They responded. Even the mage's driven by the previous suspicious fire troupe members, joined the fight.

* * *

**Next Monday; Chapter 15: **

* * *

**If you liked Destiny's Demise try checking out some of my other stories.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and recommend to others.**

**If you want more Destiny's Demise don't forget to follow!**

**-A-ccentric**


	15. The Grey-Zone

Destiny's Demise  
Chapter 15: The Grey-Zone

Natsu woke up to a world of white- well, to be more precise, it was grey.

As soon, as he came to, his eyes met a shroud of faces hanging over him. The slayer yelped in surprise, scrambling to his feet.

"Who are you?" Natsu exclaimed, staring at each of them suspiciously. All their clothes were worn and tattered in the same faded grey as the world they were in. There were a few holds here and there, but they all looked comfy in their respective clothing. Even their skin, and faces were in grey, like on of the old black and white paintings you see sometimes.

Natsu curiously looked down at himself and noticed the same thing. Both his vest and trousers were dipped into random shades of grey. Fortunately, his scale scarf had also been returned to him. "My scarf!" Natus exclaimed, taking in a deep breath of relief. "I thought I had lost it!"

"What are you talking about?" One of the men near him chuckled. "You've had it with you this entire time."

"Oh...you're right." Natsu nodded, unsure of why he thought he hadn't had it in the first place. Onyx eyes glanced around the space crammed with people. "By the way, where am I?" Natsu turned back to the man. A startling laugh burst from his lips, almost crippling him over in hysterics.

"You sure are funny." The man wheezed, giving Natsu a friendly slap on the back.

"But-" Natsu spoke, still pushing for an answer.

"You're here with us, silly." A grey woman appeared from the toned crowd.

"Here?" Natsu repeated, thinking over her answer. "You're right. Of course I'm right _here._"

"NATSU!" A voice suddenly screeched. Natsu yelped, doing a quick one-eighty turn mid-air.

"What are you doing here?" the voice continued. The contrasting salmon-pink of her hair burned into his eyes. Dark eyes glared at him, moving through the grey crowd without the people being pushed out the way blinking an eye.

"I'm_ here _with these guys." Natsu responded confidently, baring a happy grin. It was such a surprise when the person hit him that he had no time to defend. Natsu fell hard against the floor with a burst of hot pain across face, his hand pressing against his throbbing cheek with confusion. His eyes turned to glare on the stranger but stopped midway. A flash of memory passed his eyes at the familiar pain; Natsu-sama was yelling something at him. The memory was short lived as recognition flooded the dragon slayer. "Natsu-sama!" Natsu jumped back to his feet.

"Don't just go around forgetting things, Natsu!" Natsu-sama snapped, setting her hands on her hips.

Onyx eyes flashed down to the girl's clothing, dyed in red from the stomach down. "That's right...you were stabbed." Natsu muttered, shaking his head in confusion. He looked back up to her face. "But you died, how-"

His throat died with the second sharp smack around his head. "I _did _die, idiot. And you're dead too."

Another gasp choked his throat as searing pain flashed down his neck in a quick short burst, leaving him only with a dull ache that made him wince.

"Snapped neck?" Natsu-sama said with a tone that said she knew everything. "That means Venus did this. Why didn't Saturn stop him?"

"Saturn, he..." Natsu began, ready to deliver the painful new again. Somehow, as he caught the woman's knowing stare, his voice seemed to trail off.

"I see." Natsu-sama uttered, turning away from him.

Natsu's pink hair hung from his head, looking down at his scarred bruised chest in despair. Why was it he couldn't protect anyone?

"Wait." Natsu exclaimed, making Natsu-sama jump back an inch. "Why am I dead?"

"You're only asking that now?" Natsu-sama barked in rage. "How slow are you?"

"I'm not slow!" Natsu snapped, clashing heads with the girl.

A sigh dropped from her lips, relinquishing her fight. She dragged a long tired hand over the length of her face. "Never mind. There's no point arguing with him. Natsu's just an idiot."

"Oi." Natsu grumbled, far away from her monologue world. "I'm right here."

A thought suddenly occurred to him as he rubbed his sore neck -or rather than a 'thought' it was more like a 'realisation'.

"My scarf's gone!" The slayer exclaimed, savagely searching high and low for it.

"Of course it is."

"What?" Natsu whined, running straight up to her face with sad tears in her eyes. "Why?"

"Because you've 'woken up' with the awareness of your death, so you've return to your last state of being."

For a moment, Natsu nodded as if he understood- except, he didn't understand.

"So where'd my scarf go?"

A tired sigh repeatedly came from her mouth around the dragon slayer. "I don't have a choice. I'll explain it to you in simpler terms. The Earl is like a giant magnet for souls. You die within the radius of it, and it sucks you up into here. This is the 'Grey-zone' -the holding place for the absorbed souls."

"The grey-zone?"

"The shock of death is so great that the people make up delusions to get through it; reverting their image and mentality into a peaceful place in their lives. They also suppress the memory of their deaths."

"I see." Natsu whined, still rubbing his aching neck. "Damn this hurts."

"You don't know the half of it." Natsu-sama sighed. Dark eyes didn't notice until then, but she had a tight arm gripped over her stomach. The dragon slayer had a feeling that he really didn't know the half of whatever she was going through. At least his death was quick and painless (at the time) and he didn't even see it happen.

Natsu-sama had to be strong, holding in all that pain, choosing to be concious of it.

Natsu's thoughts were suddenly cut in half by the ground slipping beneath him. Their grey world rattled them like bugs in a box, sending everyone staggering and falling onto their sides. Pain jerked through the slayer's neck as he hit the floor, yelping in surprise and pain. Another gasp hissed from the pink-haired girl as she fell over him.

When the shaking finally, seized, the people of grey rose to their feet and continued on like nothing happened.

On the other hand, the two recovering mages were still laid crippled in a pile.

"Ouch." Natsu grumbled, sitting up and gently lifting the girl along with him. "What was that?"

"_That _was your fault." Natsu-sama grunted, easing herself off the dragon slayer.

"What? Why?"

Dark brown eyes watched him suspiciously, carefully examining the innocent face staring back at her. A heavy sigh came from her lips. "I suppose I can't blame you, considering you died without permission."

"That's right! Loki decided it all on his own." Natsu nodded adamantly before being painfully reminded of his snapped neck. The pain came with a shocking recollection of its own. "Wait! Why do you have Lucy's keys?"

A small wisp of air caught at the back of her throat, escaping from the smothered gasp. A slight hint of despair and panic flashed across her eyes, hidden at the reflex of control. Her eyes turned away from the slayer, watching the ground at her feet with a distant gaze.

"I met Lucy three years ago." Natsu-sama spoke hesitantly. "I found her lying on the ground covered in blood. I promised-"

Another violent shake rippled through the room. It was faster and stronger than the last time, throwing people into one another. Both mage's pinned themselves down on the ground, trying to support themselves against the rift of the ground.

"Dammit!" Natsu-sama growled. She shot to her feet the second the vibrations stopped. "I don't have time for stories."

"Wait!" Natsu lunged forwards to her. Before he could catch her, she side-stepped out of his grip.

"I'm going to send you back as son as I get the chance." She warned, turning swiftly into the grey crowd.

Natsu followed after her, confused at her sudden impatience and frustration. "Why are you mad at me?" Natsu shouted, barging through the crowd.

Pink hair whipped around so fast, he almost crashed right in to her. Dark brown eyes met the slayer with a face full of seriousness. "Don't be mistaken, dragon slayer." She warned. "Everything I do is for my mission. I needed you on the outside." Pink hair flipped back over her shoulder as she turned and continued on her pursuit.

"Why?" Natsu struggled to keep up with her.

"This place will blow up once I activate the rift." Natsu-sama shouted back, pushing aside grey-clad people, throwing them into the dragon slayer's path. "I need you on the outside in order to minimize it. Your iron dragon lungs should be able to absorb most of the flames."

"The Earl? That explosion will be huge!"

"You saying you can't do it, dragon slayer?" The pink mage called over her shoulder. She stopped and turn, a sly smile pulling on her lips, tempting the boy that little bit further.

"Aye sir!" Natsu responded. Fingers clenched into a tight fist on his chest, eyes swelling with determination.

"Good, because I already hacked into the rift you caused when you overloaded the system."

"What?"

Before she could reply the biggest tremor yet blew through the grey. It was strong enough to suspend everyone in the air for a fraction of a second, before slamming them back down again.

All the air in the dragon slayer's lungs was snatched out of him as he hit the ground, jolting his neck. Shaking quakes knocked people over him and people over those people. He was on the bottom of a human pile up. Natsu-sama dropped down face to face with the gasping dragon slayer. Air refused to go back into his lungs, crushed by the weight above him. For some reason, Natsu was getting suspicious that his breathing wasn't due to being winded. It was attached to the fact that his body was fading with the painful sensation of drowning.

"Natsu!" Natsu-sama shouted, catching his face in her palms and turning it towards her. "One last thing: you need to be defeat the scientist and get everyone out before the underground building collapses. It won't stand the explosion even if you minimize it!"

"Wait.." Natsu wheezed, struggling to keep his eyes out. "What...about you?"

Despite the shouts of the crowd and the cries of people falling, Natsu could still have heard her voice. Yet, she didn't speak- not in the form of speech. Instead, it was her eyes that said everything she needed. Their sad, but gentle gaze held the dragon slayer as he lips turned into a soft smile.

_Goodbye. _

Darkness swept in around the dragon slayer, snatching him out from the grey world.

"NO!" Natsu snapped, launching his body upwards.

"Natsu!" Era shouted almost immediately. Onyx eyes snapped towards the red-haired mage stood protectively by his side.

"Erza?" The slayer uttered, looking around, confused and disorientated. Fairy Tail and the fire troupe mages gathered around the dragon slayer in a protective ring. Hot heavy breaths wheezed in and out of their tired lungs. Bruises, burns and cuts covered their black and blue skin. Magic tingled around their hands, urging for a fight.

Natsu looked among them with a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him there was something important he was forgetting. It felt like he had had a dream, but his recollections of it were fleeting.

"Oh good. You're awake." Wendy sighed in relief, a blue glow fading from her hands. "When Venus-san told me to heal you, I didn't think I could. I managed to fix your neck and here you are again!" He wasn't sure what Venus had said, but Wendy looked all together memorised by the slayer alive in front of her.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu grumbled, unconsciously rubbing a hand over his neck.

"Dragon slayer!" A harsh voice snapped. Onyx eyes turned to the tall black cat on his right. Despite not facing him, Natsu still felt the sharp glare of his eyes. "did Natsu-sama manage to open a rift?"

"A rift?" The slayer repeated, feeling like the word was familiar.

"A rift! A tear in the Grey-zone connected to the machine!" Venus elaborated with bitter impatience. "I wasn't sure if she would be able to create on on her own, that's why I sent you in. The overload must have created one. Did she find it?"

"Overload? Rift? Natsu-sama?" He repeated. An intense headache slammed into his skull. All his foggy memories of the grey world, of Natsu-sama and her words came rushing back to him. It wasn't a dream.

"She found it. She used it to send me back!" Natsu shouted, shooting up to his feet. They raced him forwards, slamming into the black cat, two fists grabbing handfuls of his fur and dragging him towards his face. "What the hell is going to happen to Natsu-sama if she blows up that thing?"

Green cat eyes flashed from the slayer to the machine and back to the pink-haired boy's face. Two paws settled on his fists, pulling back from their grasp.

"We don't know." Venus responded with caution. "However since Natsu-sama has connected to the machine to blow it up, it's likely that..." Venus' voice trailed off, looking at the dragon slayer with cold stone eyes.

"She'll explode along with it." Natsu finished.

"What? Venus!" Fire snapped, storming over to the black cat- Valentine bounding behind in tow. "You never said that to me in Hermit."

"I told you only what you needed to know." Venus replied coldly, refusing to look her in the eye.

"What?" Fira scoffed. "Fake my death to hide form the Earl so I can help Natsu-sama. That's what you told me."

"That was all Master told me to tell you." Venus replied.

"Oh my," A cold, sickening voice cooed. "A cat fight? That's not a very nice welcome after the young fire slayer's return- and without your girl I see." The scientist chuckled, baring his sharp canines. White scales scattered with debris and metal emerged from the pile of fallen concrete as his untarnished body rose to stand. Gold seals wrapped around his claws in band, inhibiting the use of his hands. He easily pulled his hands apart and shattered the seal.

"Damn." Valentine muttered.

"You're still alive." Natsu growled, sharpening his eyes on the man.

"Of course." The scientist grinned. "A scientist never leaves his experiments unattended." As his eyes examined his opponents and the dragon slayer, another snide comment slipped from his lips. "It seems I'm not the only one appeared from the dead either."

Valentine -as Natsu learned- stepped closer to the fire troupe commander protectively. Natsu stood in front of them both, dark eyes on the offensive. "I couldn't get enough of the idea of my fist in your face."

Voices were lost with the loud screech ripping through their conversation. Metal crying drew all their eyes back to the Earl. Everyone stared in shock as the top disc detached from the machine. It seemed to dive through the air in slow motion, the cries of the scientist drowning into the background of grinding steel. It collapsed into the ground like bread and butter, but summoned a cloud of debris and concrete like a tsunami -and it was heading straight for them.

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**Next Monday; Chapter 16;  
_ The Earl Falls Down, and Natsu and the Scientist rise up against each other, but is it the final show down? Or is there more to come? _**

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**-A-ccentric**


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